Along the way, Greitens created some friction with the state’s Republican establishment with his relentless portrayal of the Republican-controlled Legislature as a swamp of bad ethics. His top promise during the campaign was to “clean up” Jefferson City with a ban on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and restrictions on “revolving-door” lobbying contracts for ex-lawmakers.

But Greitens has also stressed his support for right-to-work legislation that would weaken labor unions and, proponents claim, improve the state’s business climate. Democrats say it’s anti-worker, and Nixon has blocked the Republican Legislature from getting it into statute. Republicans says it’s pro-business, and Greitens has vowed to sign it.

Koster’s journey to Tuesday’s election was as typical as Greitens’ was unusual — except for the fact that Koster, like Greitens, switched parties along the way. An attorney, former Cass County prosecutor and former state senator representing a region near Kansas City, Koster, 52, was a Republican until switching parties in 2007, prior to winning his first term as attorney general.