Republican Eric Schmitt hopes Trump-style politics will win him Missouri Senate nomination

As a state senator, Schmitt valued cooperation over confrontation. But since becoming Attorney General, he's spent much of his time on legal actions against the Biden Administration — including attempting to overturn the 2020 election — and fighting local COVID-19 health rules.
This story is part of a series of profiles on leading candidates for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate race, from the Missouri Independent.

There’s an old joke around Jefferson City that AG stands for aspiring governor. And there’s a lot of truth in the jest.

Five of the 12 most recent attorneys general have run for governor. Three won.

But the office has more often been a step on the ladder to the U.S. Senate, with eight of those 12 reaching for the next rung.