Blunt fends off Dem challenger in Missouri Senate race

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is projected to win Tuesday against one of the Democratic Party’s breakout stars in this fall’s contest for control of the upper chamber.

Blunt has battled Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, a once-unknown challenger who has surged in the polls since September.

Kander conceded in a speech in Kansas City, according to multiple reports, before news outlets officially called the race for Blunt.

{mosads}A member of the Senate GOP leadership, Blunt found himself in a fight for survival in an election cycle considered to be tougher for incumbents.

Polls showed Kander trailing Blunt between 5 and 7 points throughout the summer, until when in September the Army veteran released an ad that went viral showing him assembling some weapon like some AR-15 assault rifle while blindfolded.

Kander had also stepped up criticism of Blunt’s role as a “Washington insider” in debates and television ads, with attacks ranging from the lobbying careers of Blunt’s family members to his multi million-dollar home in Washington.

Kander’s outsider status and TV-ready appeal made him one of the Democratic Party’s best hopes of capturing a GOP-held Senate seat in 2016.

The unexpectedly tight race forced last-minute spending by Republicans in a state that hasn’t supported a Democrat for president in two decades.