JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Busch family, which founded Anheuser-Busch, one of the world’s largest beer companies, has loomed large in Missouri politics for decades before Trudy Busch Valentine launched her Senate campaign.
It’s nearly impossible to avoid the family name or one of their products in the Show-Me State. Members of the wealthy family, sometimes called the “first family of beer,” have regularly supported candidates of both major political parties. They’ve also been involved in environmental issues and hosted numerous philanthropic events at their sprawling Grant’s Farm estate in St. Louis.
“There’s nobody in St. Louis that doesn’t have some story or some, you know, second or third or even first party experience with the Busch family or their enterprises,” said Lou Hamilton, a longtime lobbyist for Anheuser-Busch.
That influence is felt in the race for U.S. Senate in Missouri between Busch Valentine, the Democratic nominee and an heir to the family’s fortune, and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the Republican nominee. While Busch Valentine is the only Busch on the Nov. 8 ballot, some members of the prominent family have financially backed Schmitt.
August Busch III, Busch Valentine’s half brother who has donated $5,800 to her campaign, also donated $250,000 to a PAC supporting Schmitt before Busch Valentine entered the race. He donated another $100,000 to a PAC that sought to torpedo former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ primary bid against Schmitt.
Busch Valentine, in a statement provided by her campaign, said she was grateful to her parents including former Anheuser-Busch chairman and St. Louis Cardinals owner August “Gussie” Busch for teaching her “that to whom much is given, much is expected.”
“Like a lot of families, we don’t always see eye to eye, but still find ways to come together on things that are most important,” the statement said. “I’m in this race to work together to get things done and give every hardworking Missourian a fighting chance.”
While the Busch family no longer owns Anheuser-Busch after the company was sold to InBev in 2008 for $52 billion, the name still has a hold on the minds of many in Missouri. It’s synonymous with Budweiser, the Clydesdale horses featured in beer ads, the large red-brick brewery in downtown St. Louis and the namesake of the St. Louis Cardinals’ ballpark.
Some state legislators and political observers say that clout may offer a small opening for Busch Valentine in the race for U.S. Senate where she faces long odds against Schmitt.
“This is the beer that built Missouri,” said state Rep. Wes Rogers, a Kansas City Democrat. “How many families have been employed by Anheuser-Busch? How many Missourians buy a 30-pack of Busch Light every single weekend?
“If I was her, I would double down on that, triple down on it, quadruple down on everything I could to get across to people that ‘this is my family that created this for our state.’”
The imagery and allure surrounding the Busch family has been adopted by both candidates in the lead up to the general election. Busch Valentine invested more than $5.3 million of her own money in her campaign and used her family’s name recognition to win her party’s nomination in the August primary.
Schmitt has painted his opponent as out-of-touch and has tried to cultivate a working-class image, saying he “gave tours & took out the trash” at the Busch family’s Grant’s Farm while in college. The Republican attorney general has also posted tweets with photos of Busch Light, an Anheuser-Busch beer known for its cheap price and wide availability.
Does the Busch family still have clout after selling company?
While some political observers have touted the family’s name recognition, others say the family’s stature in Missouri politics has diminished in recent years, particularly since the sale to InBev. They say Busch Valentine’s fortune and family legacy may hurt her chances among voters outside of St. Louis.
“I don’t think it helps her,” said James Harris, a Jefferson City-based Republican consultant. “Now, especially once you get outside St. Louis, if you get into certain parts of Kansas City, there’s always been animosity towards St. Louis.”
Anheuser-Busch was co-founded by Busch Valentine’s great-grandfather Adolphus Busch in 1852. Over the years, members of the prominent family have taken sort of a pragmatic approach to politics, supporting specific candidates and causes over political ideologies, said Hamilton.
When Busch III, the candidate’s half brother, was chairman of the company, the family was largely involved in industry-related issues like taxes on beer and the impact of GMOs on crops, Hamilton said.
The family and company’s presence, while prominent in St. Louis, has also been felt in Jefferson City.
“Before there were gift limits, it was quite customary that Busch beer was always at the governor’s mansion — they would donate it,” said Harris, the GOP strategist. “You would see Busch beer every week or month being carted down to legislative offices.”
Before his death in 2014, Anheuser-Busch’s longtime lobbyist John Britton was considered one of the most powerful figures in Missouri. Using his influence, Britton regularly defeated legislative efforts to raise taxes on beer.
His presence was so powerful that the Missouri Senate passed a resolution after smoking was banned in the Capitol in 1995 that stated wherever Britton was was a smoking zone, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Despite selling the company after a hostile takeover in 2008, many argue that the Busch family still holds significant influence in Missouri.
“I don’t think it’s diminished at all since InBev took them over,” said Hamilton. “The Busches have had a long, long, long history of involvement in Missouri, both politically and civically and in community stuff, so I haven’t seen really any major change since the family has been outside of the management of the company.”
Both candidates use imagery connected to Busch brand
While using imagery surrounding her prominent family like the Budweiser Clydesdales, which she featured in a campaign video last month, Busch Valentine has also touted her decision to become a registered nurse and her pro-abortion rights stance.
“I grew up in a family that lived the American dream, but I wanted to have a life of my own,” Busch Valentine told The Kansas City Star’s editorial board last week. “I didn’t want to live off of that dream that my ancestors had made. I wanted to have my own credibility. I became a nurse because I had my own credibility, and I knew that I could take care of myself financially.”
Despite her significant self-funding, Busch Valentine’s supporters say her candidacy should be defined by the issues she’s focused on, such as abortion access, rather than her family background.
“I don’t feel like she’s just running on the name, she’s running on a lot of issues that she’s bringing forward,” said Jeff Smith, a former Democratic state senator. “I haven’t seen a ton from her that would suggest an overreliance on her family’s background.”
Schmitt has also used Grant’s Farm, the tourist attraction and estate co-owned by Busch Valentine, in his campaign. In June, Schmitt’s campaign paid nearly $11,000 to the farm for “event food and beverage,” according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
“It’s kind of strange,” Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, a Sullivan Republican, said of the family dynamics. “It would make for strange conversations at the family reunion or dinner table or Thanksgiving, but again, I think that’s why it was a little bit interesting when Trudy announced that she was going to run.”
Schmitt, for his part, has tried to capitalize on Busch Valentine’s wealth, frequently referring to his opponent as an “heiress.” Last week, the Republican attorney general posted a tweet criticizing Busch Valentine’s campaign team for mentioning pumpkin spice lattes in an email sent to potential voters.
A photograph attached to the tweet featured a camouflage can of Anheuser-Busch’s Busch Light.
“While my opponent The Heiress Valentine is emailing people about the beginning of ‘Pumpkin Spice Latte’ season — I’m here to remind Missourians it’s Busch Light camo can season. Enjoy!” the tweet said.
Rogers, the Kansas City Democrat, said Schmitt’s tweet was a smart political strategy to come across as a normal, working class politician.
“I think the goal is probably ‘which of these two candidates can you imagine drinking a Busch Light with,’ right? And he’s trying to prove that it’s him even though it’s her family who created it,” he said. “I think he’s doing a good job getting that message across. I think he’s winning on that, frankly.”
———
(Kansas City Star reporters Daniel Desrochers and Jonathan Shorman contributed to this report.)
———
