Republican Mike Kehoe wins race for Missouri governor

Claudette Riley, USA TODAY NETWORK
·1 min read

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Republican Mike Kehoe will be the next governor of Missouri, according to The Associated Press.

Kehoe, appointed lieutenant governor in 2018, took an early lead Tuesday in the four-person race to become Missouri's 58th governor. He had 56% of the votes as of 9:51 p.m., compared to around 42% of the votes for Democratic state Rep. Crystal Quade.

There was no incumbent in the race. Gov. Mike Parson, who has served in the role since June 2018, is not running again due to term limits.

Kehoe defeated eight Republican challengers in the August primary to reach the Nov. 5 ballot.

Quade, a Democrat from Springfield, was Kehoe's most vigorous challenger. The other candidates on the ballot included Bill Slantz, a Libertarian; and Paul Lehmann, of the Green Party.

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Kehoe, elected to a full term in 2020, was raised in North St. Louis City by a single mother and started working at age 15 to help pay the bills. Later, he owned an ambulance manufacturing company and then a car dealership.

Elected to the Missouri Senate in 2010, Kehoe served as the majority floor leader. He previously served as chair of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.

Kehoe said reducing crime will be his top priority as governor. He wants to hire more law enforcement officers, enact laws that are stricter on fentanyl dealers, and address immigration issues.

He also wants to improve teacher salaries and working environments and expand career training.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri gubernatorial election: Republican Mike Kehoe wins the race

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