(NewsNation) — NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the race for the U.S. Senate seat for Missouri in favor of Josh Hawley. See all Missouri race results here.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley faced Democratic challenger Marine veteran Lucas Kunce in his bid for reelection.
Hawley was elected to the Senate in 2018, defeating two-term Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Prior to that, he served as the attorney general of Missouri from 2017 to 2019.
Hawley has been a key ally to former President Donald Trump, becoming one of the first senators to say he would object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election. He also faced bipartisan backlash by appearing to support pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, when he raised his fist while walking past them.
During his tenure, Hawley became known for his stances on culture wars and data privacy, calling for a ban on social media platform TikTok. For his reelection campaign, the Republican senator positioned himself as a constitutional conservative and someone who fights for religious freedom, keeping “Big Tech companies from abusing their power and to prevent foreign interests from hurting American workers.”
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Hawley was up against Kunce, a 13-year Marine veteran and director of national security at the American Economic Liberties Project, an antitrust regulation nonprofit. Kunce hasn’t held any public positions but ran for Senate once before to take Roy Blunt’s seat in 2022. Kunce eventually lost in the Democratic primary.
Much of his campaign centered around being the right person to beat Hawley. The Democrat’s policies include backing protections for organized labor and support for abortion rights. He condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel carried out by Hamas and believes the U.S. should use its leverage to push for a cease-fire. Kunce took heat from fellow Democrats after refusing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
A notable moment that made headlines during the campaign was when Hawley arrived at a Missouri State Fair event in search of Kunce to challenge him to a live debate near the fair. The two candidates exchanged words and barbs for several minutes, surrounded by the media.
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In the red state of Missouri, where a Democrat hasn’t held statewide office since Hawley defeated McCaskill in 2018, Kunce garnered significant momentum and became the best-funded Democrat in a statewide election, raising more than $11 million for his campaign. He outraised and outspent Hawley throughout the campaign cycle. But despite fundraising efforts, polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ in the weeks leading up to the election showed Hawley maintained a 93% chance of winning the election.
The outcome of this race will affect the balance of power in the Senate. A total of 34 seats are up in 2024, with 23 being held by Democrats and independents. Republicans can retake control of the upper chamber of Congress by flipping two seats from Democrats or by winning the presidential race and flipping just one other seat.
