A Missouri lawyer who lost a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate two years ago appears poised to overcome that defeat so he can challenge firebrand conservative Republican Sen. Josh Hawley in November.
Lucas Kunce, a Marine veteran, has a commanding lead over state Sen. Karla May, 39% to 10%, ahead of Tuesday's four-way Democratic primary, according to a poll of likely voters last month.
The survey was conducted for the Missouri Scout political news website, according to FiveThirtyEight.
A June poll also showed Kunce gaining ground on Hawley, trailing the freshman senator by 9 percentage points, which was down from 14 points in March, as Hawley's support slipped from 53% to 47%, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Hawley was infamously photographed giving a raised-fist salute to "Stop the Steal" protesters before he fled the U.S. Capitol when they stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to block certification of President Joe Biden's victory over former President Donald Trump.
The former Missouri attorney general also spoke in support of Christian nationalism during a speech last month at the National Conservative Conference in Washington, D.C., St. Louis TV station Fox 2 reported.
"Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. So I am. And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do," Hawley said during an address titled: "The Christian Nationalism We Need."
Kunce supports abortion rights, protections for organized labor and continued aid to Ukraine for its fight against Russia's ongoing February 2022 invasion, noted St. Louis public radio station KCUR.
"Missourians are in a position right now where they are tired of control-freak politicians telling them what to do and taking away their rights," he told the station.
Kunce, who placed second in a 10-way 2022 Senate primary race, has repeatedly outraised Hawley during quarterly reporting periods. He raked in nearly $10 million since the beginning of last year, and he had more than $4 in his campaign war chest, KCUR reported.
In Feburary, Hawley told Republicans that he expected a "tough race" for reelection. KCUR said Vice President Kamala Harris' replacement of Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate could energize Black and women voters for an election that may also feature a ballot measure to reverse Missouri's near-total ban on abortions.
Hawley is unopposed in Missouri's Tuesday primary elections, which are dominated by multi-candidate races for the seat of outgoing GOP Gov. Mike Parson and a challenge of progressive Democratic Rep. Cori Bush by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
