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Brunner heads out on final two-week tour in three-way GOP contest for U.S. Senate

In Backroom

4:57 pm on Mon, 07.23.12

Beginning Tuesday, Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Brunner is launching a final two-week tour of Missouri as he appeals for GOP support in the Aug. 7 primary.

Brunner’s first stops will be in the St. Louis area, beginning with a Tuesday morning meeting with the Republican Women’s Club of St. Louis at the main St. Louis County Library, 1640 South Lindbergh Boulevard.

He then is slated to appear at a lunchtime “meet and greet’’ at Pio’s Italian Restaurant in St. Charles.

John Brunner
John Brunner

Brunner is capping the day with an evening appearance before the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee. On Wednesday, he is holding a breakfast “meet and greet” at Cowan’s restaurant, 114 Elm Street in Washington, Mo., with a similar lunch event in Arnold at the Ponderosa Steak House, 3601 Jeffco Road.

Wednesday evening, Brunner is slated to be at the St. Albans home of former state Rep. Jackson. 

Brunner campaign manage Jon Seaton said the tour is in line with what Brunner has been doing. “For nearly 10 months, John Brunner has worked harder than any other Republican candidate for U.S. Senate traveling throughout Missouri, touching every corner, and talking with countless Missourians about his plan to restore America’s prosperity,” said Seaton said.

 “In these final 14 days, John will continue to bring his front-running campaign to voters in a citizen-to-citizen tour, again, giving Missourians another chance to meet John and hear his pro-growth message,” Seaton said. In an interview, he said the trip “gives people one last chance to shake his hand and say ‘hello.’ “

Brunner’s tour comes as he has been facing a barrage of attack ads from three sources: rival Sarah Steelman, the Democratic-aligned Majority PAC, and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

All of the ads have sought to disparage Brunner’s business credentials – his key campaign pitch – and to raise questions about his management of Vi-Jon, originally a family-owned business that specialized in personal-care products such as Germ-X. 

 Brunner sold the company to a private equity firm in 2006, but remained with the company until 2009 and still sits on its board. Vi-Jon has been laying over people over the past year, and had its credit rating downgraded. He denies any involvement, but his critics -- Republican and Democrat -- allege otherwise.

Brunner, in turn, has spent close to $5 million so far on TV ads and fliers that lay out his credentials, while jabbing at his two chief rivals: Steelman and U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Wildwood.

McCaskill on Monday once again targeted all three on their general lack of the support for the latest federal farm bill, which would include aid for Missouri ranchers whose herds have been devastated by this summer’s drought and triple-digit temperatures.

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