Former Navy SEAL officer Eric Greitens has won a bruising Republican primary for Missouri governor, defeating three opponents to advance to a November matchup with Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.
The incumbent governor, Democrat Jay Nixon, has served two terms and was ineligible to run again.
Greitens defeated Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, former lawmaker and U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, and businessman John Brunner in a hard-fought Republican primary.
The four combined to spend more than $22 million, according to figures released about two weeks before the election. Greitens got a lot of his donations from wealthy out-of-state donors.
He has highlighted his military background and cast himself as a political outsider who would clean up perceived corruption in Jefferson City.
Koster outdistanced three challengers to win the Democratic nomination for governor.
Koster is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nixon. Nixon, like Koster, served as attorney general before winning election to the state's top elected position.
Koster already has stockpiled nearly $10.9 million for the general election.
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