U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof narrowly won Missouri's Republican primary for governor Tuesday, as strong support in Joplin, Cape Girardeau and the St. Louis suburbs overcame a poor showing in Kansas City.
In unofficial results with all precincts reporting, Hulshof had 194,408 votes to 176,605 for state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.
Hulshof, from Columbia, overcame a stiff challenge from Steelman, who tried to paint Hulshof as a free-spending Washington politician out of touch with Missouri's conservative values.
In the November election, Hulshof will face Attorney General Jay Nixon, who overwhelmed token opposition in the Democratic primary by taking 85 percent of the vote.
Hulshof attributed his victory to a strong Republican organization that kept him close in the counties where he campaigned little and pushed him over the top in others. He said he knew the Kansas City area was a problem because he is not well-known here and he lacked the financial resources to advertise on network television affiliates.
Read the full story at KansasCity.com.
Other election news from Tuesday's Missouri and Kansas primaries:
Counting glitch may change Kansas GOP House outcome
Koster gets Missouri Democratic A.G. nod
Kansas politician who crusaded against abortion loses big