Republican Missouri state Sen. Denny Hoskins, a member of the Freedom Caucus, speaks to hundreds of supporters gathered Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Summer Ballentine)

Missouri state Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg) has won the Republican nomination in the Midwest state’s crowded secretary of state primary election.

Hoskins won the nomination when AP News called the race late Tuesday night. As of Wednesday afternoon, he led the eight-person race with over 24% of the vote.

Hoskins has served in the Missouri Legislature since 2009, first as a representative and then as a senator since 2017. In April, Hoskins was sued for defamation by Kansas resident Denton Loudermill after Hoskins spread images of him in handcuffs on social media. Hoskins also falsely labeled Loudermill responsible for the shooting that took place at the Kansas City Chiefs parade and for being an undocumented immigrant.

Despite this scandal, Hoskins was able to overcome a large field of seven opponents. This field include Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, who boasted a hefty financial lead before Tuesday’s primary.

Plocher has served in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2016 and as the House Speaker since January 2023. Since becoming speaker, Plocher has been at the center of numerous scandals, including seeking personal reimbursement for travel expenses that he used campaign money to pay for. In May, Plocher and his chief of staff Rod Jetton were hit with a lawsuit from a former staff member who accused the pair of harassment and intimidation.

In the secretary of state primary, Plocher finished in fourth place with just under 14% of the vote.

Finishing in sixth place with just 7% of the vote was Valentina Gomez, a social media personality who has amassed a large following by spreading extreme far-right talking points. In May, Gomez went viral after she posted a now deleted video of her running through the streets of a predominately gay neighborhood in St. Louis. She told her followers that they can be anything they want, and to not “be weak and gay.”

The 25-year-old also stirred controversy in February when she posted a video of her burning a stack of books with a flamethrower, vowing to do the same to “grooming books” when she becomes secretary of state. She also recently used multiple homophobic slurs in a campaign video.

In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Barb Phifer (D-St. Louis) won with just under 41% of the vote, according to an AP News race call.