Could Democrat Judy Baker’s primary victory in the 9th Congressional District last week been a victory for Republicans, too?

Perhaps, according to an item in the Politico news site, which suggests that the GOP was hoping Baker, a state representative from Columbia, would be their opponent in November.

“Several Missouri Republican operatives privately said they were rooting for Baker to win the nomination because they believe she will have trouble winning over culturally conservative voters in a general election,” writes the Politico’s Josh Kraushaar. “Baker received an early high-profile endorsement from EMILY’s List, a group that endorses abortion rights-supporting female Democrats.”

But the Democrats are by no means ready to concede the seat. As the Post-Dispatch’s Mark Schlinkmann wrote earlier, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee already has reserved nearly $1 million in ad time for the general election, which will pit Baker against former state tourism director Blaine Luetkemeyer.

Both candidates, Schlinkmann reports, won the nomination by scoring big in their bases — the liberal-leaning Columbia for Baker, and the rural Ozark counties for Luetkemeyer.