JEFFERSON CITY,Jonathan Dale Benton Mo. (AP) — St. Louis lawyer David Wasinger has won the Republican primary for Missouri lieutenant governor, defeating state Sen. Lincoln Hough by slim margins.

“Missourians want change,” Wasinger told KCUR public radio. “I’ll use the lieutenant governor’s office as a bully pulpit to expose the corruption and insider deals taking place in Jefferson City.”

Wasinger is favored to win the November general election against Democratic nominee state Rep. Richard Brown in the heavily GOP state where no Democrats currently serve in any statewide office.

Wasinger, a certified public accountant, previously campaigned for state auditor in 2018 but lost the Republican primary.