Missouri Independent: “U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt announced Monday he will not seek a third term, a shock to Missouri’s political system that could set off a scrum to replace him next year. Former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace nearly three years ago, has made it no secret he is considering a run. He’s spent the last year trying to repair his image from the litany of allegations that drove him from office, ranging from violent sexual misconduct to stealing from a veteran’s charity. Despite entering into a plea deal to avoid felony charges in 2018 that stipulated prosecutors had ‘sufficient evidence’ to bring his case to trial, and his campaign being fined $178,000 in 2020 for violating state law, Greitens claims he was exonerated from all allegations of wrongdoing.”

“Many Missouri GOP politicos look warily at a potential Greitens candidacy and its potential impact on the state and party. There is no love lost between Greitens and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, who is rumored to be eyeing a White House run and is not up for re-election until 2024. Hawley investigated Greitens in 2018 as attorney general and concluded he’d committed a felony. He also worked behind the scenes to push Greitens out of office. A majority of legislative Republicans were prepared to impeach Greitens and remove him from office over allegations that he taped a woman’s hands to pull-up rings in his basement, blindfolded her, spit water into her mouth, ripped open her shirt, pulled down her pants and took a photo of her to use as blackmail to keep her from talking about their relationship. Despite all this, most believe Greitens maintains enough support among the party’s base that he could still emerge from a crowded primary.”