MO: Talent is Out

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) announced yesterday that he will not be running for retiring Republican Sen. Kit Bond's Senate seat in 2010.

“There are other qualified Republicans who are seriously investigating the race, and it is vital to prevent the kind of dissension that hurt my party’s ticket so greatly in 2008,” Talent said in a statement.

Now the Republican field has essentially come down to two candidates: Rep. Roy Blunt and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman. Blunt, who would be the state GOP's establishment pick, is set to announce his candidacy very soon. Steelman, who would be the anti-establishment candidate, is thought very likely to enter the race.

Talent’s allusion to “other qualified Republicans” means that he's not ready to take a side yet, and has not yet counted out Steelman.

Blunt has been consolidating financial and GOP establishment support the past few weeks, and has been pressuring Talent not to challenge him in the primary. Steelman, in the meantime, has wasted no time in calling Blunt "an insider," while portraying herself as an "outsider."

The Scorecard points out: "Steelman ran unsuccessfully for governor last year, but has strong support from conservatives for her vocal criticism of earmarks and wasteful spending."

If Steelman enters the race, as expected, the Republican primary will likely turn very divisive and negative. The more the attacks escalate and the more advertisement money is spent in the primary, the happier Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan--the expected Democratic nominee--will be.