KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former Cass County prosecutor Teresa Hensley won the Democratic nomination for attorney general Tuesday in a tight race that flew under the radar thanks to the contentious Republican primary. It ended up being the closest statewide race.
While Hensley was considered a good candidate, she faced a near 3-to-1 money deficit. As polls showed a close race down the stretch, Hensley worked hard to get enough money to stay on the air, piling up several $5,000-plus donations in the last week.
While it didn’t draw the attention or the acrimony of the Republican primary, there were attacks. In her only TV ad, Hensley both touted her experience as a prosecutor and criticized Zimmerman over his experience and record as assessor.
Throughout the campaign, Hensley had pointed to her record as an attorney, saying she had more courtroom experience than the other three attorney general candidates combined.
With Hensley as a former prosecutor and congressional candidate from Cass County and Zimmerman’s experience as a former state representative – along with being St. Louis County Assessor, the battle was thought to be for voters in other regions of the state, especially areas like Columbia and Springfield.
Hensley beat Zimmerman in both Greene and Boone counties. Her margin of more than 2,500 votes in Boone played a role in her victory.
