Trudy Busch Valentine, heiress to beer giant, running for Senate as Democrat; Sifton drops out

JEFFERSON CITY — What had been a relatively stagnant Democratic field for U.S. Senate in Missouri was shaken up this week, with an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch family fortune filing to run.

Trudy Busch Valentine, who filed candidate paperwork Monday afternoon and officially launched her campaign Tuesday morning, joins a group seeking to flip a seat held by retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt just 24 hours before the filing deadline ends. She is the daughter of the late A-B chairman August "Gussie" Busch Jr. and a prominent philanthropist in St. Louis.

"Across Missouri, our communities are strong, but our politics are broken," Busch Valentine said in a campaign launch ad released Tuesday. "Too often, neighbors and families just stop talking to each other, and the politicians in Washington continue to divide us even further."

In that ad, she pointed to the 2020 death of her oldest son Matthew, saying it "reignites the passion in me to make a positive difference for others, this time on a larger scale."

Former St. Louis state Sen. Scott Sifton dropped out of the race shortly after Busch Valentine entered Monday evening, endorsing her and calling for a united Democratic front to face a potential GOP nominee in former Gov. Eric Greitens, who last week was accused of abuse by his ex-wife.

"Eric Greitens simply cannot be our next senator, and I know that Trudy Busch Valentine gives us the best chance to win in November," Sifton said. "I have seen her in action working on issues in the community and know she will do right by Missourians."

The Democratic field until this point has been led by Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who has raised significant money and is touting a "populist" platform in his bid for the nomination. Other Democratic candidates include entrepreneur Spencer Toder, Air Force veteran Jewel Kelly and college instructor Gena Ross. LGBTQ+ rights activist Tim Shepard also endorsed Busch Valentine on Tuesday.

A statement released by Kunce's campaign Tuesday touted his candidacy in the race thus far and positioned him in direct opposition to Busch Valentine.

"Missouri deserves a warrior for working people, a proven patriot who's served his country, who has the courage to stand up to criminal politicians, corrupt elites running massive multinational corporations and billionaire heiresses who have been stripping our communities for parts," spokesperson Connor Lounsbury said.

The party's nominee will face tough odds in a seat that is currently held by the GOP and has a competitive field to succeed Blunt — including Greitens, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, Mark McCloskey and Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz. But Republicans nationally have expressed concern that a Greitens nomination could thin the margins and give Democrats a chance to flip the seat.

Busch Valentine, who holds a nursing degree from St. Louis University, had the campus' nursing school named for her in 2019. She has previously supported Democratic candidates, donating $2,560 to State Auditor Nicole Galloway's gubernatorial campaign in 2020, according to campaign finance records. She also donated almost $40,000 total in support of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as contributions to U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois in 2015.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine running for U.S. Senate