WASHINGTON – Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill lost her reelection to Republican Josh Hawley in Missouri, Fox News projected.
With two-thirds of the vote in, Hawley held a significant lead of 53.2 percent to McCaskill’s 43.7 percent.
Hawley’s victory in a red state expands GOP control of the Senate and gives President Trump a reliable vote in the upper chamber.
Hawley, 38, never held public office until he was elected to Attorney General in 2016. He banked on the support of Trump and the fact that Missouri voted for the president by nearly 19 points over Hillary Clinton 2016.
His campaign got off to a slow start against McCaskill, who has a history of winning tough races and beating the odds. Republicans complained of Hawley’s sluggish fundraising numbers, light campaign schedule and posting Instagram videos of himself weightlifting in the gym.
This fall, Hawley launched a “Stop Schumer. Fire Claire” campaign tour to tie McCaskill to a “liberal” agenda and highlight the national implications of the tight race.
He said McCaskill is “just like Hillary” and called on Missourians to reject McCaskill just like they did Clinton.
Trump held raucous rallies twice for Hawley in the last week and dubbed the young Republican a “star.” The president blasted McCaskill as a political opportunist who is only saying “nice” pro-Trump things to win the election, but will never be a reliable vote.
In June, Trump accused McCaskill of “(flying) around in a luxurious private jet during her RV tour of the state. RV’s are not for her. People are really upset, so phony!”
McCaskill later confirmed that she had flown for part of the three-day RV trip, although she claimed had spent two days in the vehicle.
McCaskill, 65, was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and campaigned as an independent who will work with President Trump. She backed Trump “100 percent” to prevent a migrant caravan from entering the US and shunned the left-wing of her party in a radio ad declaring she’s not “one of those crazy Democrats.”
While she voted against Trump’s two Supreme Court nominees and the GOP tax plan, McCaskill highlighted bills she sponsored that Trump signed into law, including legislation to ban gag clauses on prescription drug pricing and a provision in the opioids legislation to crackdown on illegal fentanyl shipments into the US.
Like other Democrats in tight races she made healthcare a top campaign issue. She’s hammered Hawley for joining an anti-Obamacare lawsuit to end legal protections for pre-existing conditions. She portrayed herself as a bridge builder and Hawley as too extreme.
“He is Trump’s guy, and I am not anybody except Missouri’s guy, or gal I guess,” McCaskill during a campaign stop Monday.
The showdown in the Show Me state was among the most competitive Senate seats nationally and the second most expensive behind Florida when counting outside money. McCaskill netted celebrity donors such as Meryl Streep, Jack Black, Edward Norton and Danny DeVito. She spent nearly $34 million, compared to Hawley’s $7.4 million, while outside groups pumped in nearly $77 million more, according to OpenSecrets.org.
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