Republicans Look to Distinguish Themselves in Missouri Gubernatorial Primary

Published on July 26, 2024

The next governor of Missouri will likely be chosen among three Republican contenders. One candidate, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, is the state GOP’s choice to succeed Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who has led the state since 2018. Another, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, is the son of John Ashcroft, a former senator from Missouri and its governor from 1985 to 1993. The final leading candidate, Missouri state Sen. Bill Eigel, casts himself as a conservative outsider planning on shaking things up in Jefferson City. On Aug. 6, Missouri voters will select one of these Republican front-runners to appear on the November ballot. If recent history is a guide, the GOP will have a massive advantage over the candidate the Democratic Party chooses in its gubernatorial primary....