Seventeen file for spot in Missouri's presidential primaries

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Seventeen candidates have filed for Missouri's Feb. 3 presidential primaries, including all of the frontrunners.

Missouri's filing period ran from Oct. 21 through the end of the business day Tuesday.

President Bush filed in the Republican primary on the first day possible and is being challenged in Missouri by businessmen Bill Wyatt of California and Blake Ashby of St. Louis.

The Democrats' 11 candidates include U.S. Sens. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, John Edwards of North Carolina and John Kerry of Massachusetts; U.S. Reps. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Richard Gephardt of Missouri; retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas; former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean; former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois; Lyndon LaRouche of Virginia; civil rights activist Al Sharpton of New York; and New York businessman Fern Penna.

There are three Libertarian candidates -- radio host Gary Nolan of Ohio; maintenance technician N. Ruben Perez of Texas, and jazz musician Jeffrey Diket of New Orleans.