A second local campaign was struck by tragedy this week, when the son a GOP State House candidate in Thursday's school bus accident on I-44.

One of the teenagers killed in the pile-up -- a tangle of metal that included two school buses, a truck tractor and a pick-up -- was Daniel Schatz, 19, a reserve QB at Mizzou.

Schatz's father, Dave, is a candidate for state representative in the 111th District, which includes parts of Franklin, Crawford and Gasconade County.

Daniel was the driver of the pick-up that was sandwiched between the truck and one of two school buses involved in the accident.

On Tuesday -- two days before the crash -- Dave Schatz easily cinched the Republican nomination for the open seat with 70 percent of the vote.

Schatz, of Sullivan, Mo., faces a Democratic opponent in November, but the district appears to be solidly Republican. (About 5,500 district voters took GOP ballots in Tuesday's primary, as opposed to 895 who voted on the Democratic side.)

Dave Schatz, who owns a company that installs fiber optics and other underground cables, previously served on the Spring Bluff School Board. Even if he wanted to drop out of the race as his family mourns, it's too late for his name to be pulled off the ballot.

Schatz is not the only area candidate coping with tragedy amidst an election victory. U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer lost his daughter-in-law in a car accident last week in central Missouri's Maries County.

Amy Luetkemeyer, 27, married the congressman's son, Trevor, less than a year ago.

On Tuesday, Rep. Luetkemeyer, whose district stretches from Columbia to Lake Saint Louis, won the GOP primary on his way to a second term in Congress.

His campaign offered a muted statement thanking his supporters. 

“Blaine is extremely humbled and thankful for the vote of confidence he received tonight from the people of the 9th Congressional District," spokesman Paul Sloca said. "As the campaign moves forward, Blaine remains committed to listening to and addressing the concerns of the hard-working people of the 9th District. Blaine also would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support and prayers since the passing of daughter-in-law Amy.”