Question: In the Missouri gubernatorial election of 2008, Matt Blunt beat what American politician who is a member of the democratic party, and serves as the senior United State Senator from missouri?
Context: The 1996 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1996.  Incumbent Governor of Montana Marc Racicot, who was first elected in 1992, ran for re-election.  After winning the Republican primary against a conservative activist, he moved on to the general election, where he was set to face Chet Blaylock, a former State Senator and the Democratic nominee.  However, on October 23, 1996, Blaylock died of a heart attack, and the Montana Democratic Party selected his running mate, State Senator Judy Jacobson, to replace him as the gubernatorial nominee, and she therefore appeared on the ballot as both the gubernatorial nominee and the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.  Ultimately, however, Racicot was able to defeat Jacobson in a landslide to win re-election to his second and final term as governor. The Missouri gubernatorial election of 1872 was Missouri's seventeenth gubernatorial election.  The election was held on November 5, 1872 and resulted in a victory for the Democratic nominee, Silas Woodson, over the Republican candidate, former Senator John B. Henderson. The Missouri gubernatorial special election of 1857 was Missouri's twelfth gubernatorial election.  The election was called to fill the remainder of the term of Trusten Polk, who had resigned in February 1857 upon his election to the United States Senate.  In the special election, held on August 7, 1857, the Democratic nominee, Robert Marcellus Stewart, defeated Know-Nothing candidate James S. Rollins (running under the American Party label) by a margin of only 334 votes.  This was Rollins' second run for Governor of Missouri, having also lost in the 1848 gubernatorial election. The Missouri gubernatorial election of 1944 was Missouri's thirty-sixth gubernatorial election.  The election was held on November 7, 1944 and resulted in a victory for the Democratic nominee, State Senator Phil M. Donnelly, over the Republican candidate Jean Paul Bradshaw, and candidates representing the Socialist and Socialist Labor parties. The 2004 Missouri gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2004 for the post of Governor of Missouri.  The Republican nominee, Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt, defeated Democratic State Auditor Claire McCaskill.  This gave the Republican Party control of both the governorship and the Missouri General Assembly for the first time in 80 years. Claire Conner McCaskill ( ; born July 24, 1953) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who serves as the senior United States Senator from Missouri.  She is the first female U.S. Senator elected in Missouri in her own right. The Missouri gubernatorial election, 2008 was an election for the Governor of Missouri, held on November 4, 2008.  The incumbent governor, Matt Blunt, who had decided to retire, narrowly won the 2004 election by beating state auditor Claire McCaskill 51%-48%, and would likely have faced a strong challenger in 2008. The Missouri gubernatorial election of 1856 was Missouri's eleventh gubernatorial election.  In the election, which was held on August 2, 1852, the Democratic nominee, Trusten Polk, defeated Know-Nothing candidate Robert C. Ewing (running under the American Party label), and former Senator Thomas H. Benton.  Benton ran as an Independent Democrat under the label "Benton Democrat." The governorship of 11 states and two U.S. territories were also up for election.  Only one of them changed party hands: Democrat Jay Nixon won the Missouri gubernatorial election, replacing Republican Matt Blunt, who decided to retire instead of run for a second term. The Missouri gubernatorial election of 1896 was Missouri's twenty-fourth gubernatorial election.  The election was held on November 3, 1896 and resulted in a victory for the Democratic nominee, State Treasurer of Missouri Lon Vest Stephens, over the Republican candidate Robert E. Lewis, Prohibition candidate Herman Preston Faris, National Democratic candidate J. McDowell Trimble and Socialist Labor candidate Louis C. Fry.
Answer: Claire Conner McCaskill