Missouri

The short version: Who won, what passed Nov. 5 in Missouri general election

Published

2 years ago

November 6, 2024

The short version: Who won, what passed Nov. 5 in Missouri general election

Missouri voters have been casting ballots for more than a week, and many of the election results were known by late Tuesday. But not all.

Here is an overview of everything on the ballot in Springfield as well as the top leaders elected in Missouri and across the U.S.

Early Wednesday morning, former president Donald Trump appeared headed to the White House. Missouri was solidly red, supporting the Republican ticket Trump and running mate JD Vance. Trump was leading Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic ticket in projected Electoral College votes, though results were still being counted in a number of battleground states either candidate would need to win.

Republican incumbent Josh Hawley secured a second term in the seat he took from Democrat Claire McCaskill in 2018. His chief challenger was Democrat Lucas Kunce, a former Marine and military lawyer who raised significant money in his long-running bid for the seat.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe will be Missouri’s 58th governor.

Kehoe, a Jefferson City Republican endorsed by Parson, defeated state Rep. Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat who serves as minority leader in the Missouri House, in what was a comparatively frugal campaign.

With Kehoe running for governor, the race for lieutenant governor was open. Republican Dave Wasinger, a St. Louis attorney emerged the winner in a crowded GOP primary and won the position, which serves as the next in line to the governor and breaks tie votes in the state Senate.

State Sen. Denny Hoskins, the Republican candidate, declared victory late Tuesday, succeeding outgoing Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who lost a bid for governor in the Republican primary.

Incumbent Vivek Malek, a Republican appointed by the governor in 2022, secured a full term as the state’s chief financial officer, responsible for managing annual state revenues, directing bank services and overseeing the state’s investment portfolio.

Incumbent Andrew Bailey, a Republican, was appointed the Missouri Attorney General by Gov. Mike Parson, taking office in January 2023 after Eric Schmitt was elected to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate. He won his first election Tuesday.

In southwest Missouri, first-term Republican Rep. Eric Burlison retained the 7th District seat he won two years ago after U.S. Rep. Billy Long vacated the seat to run for Senate.

Missouri legislative races

All seats in the Missouri House of Representatives were up for a vote in the election, along with one of the state Senate seats in the Springfield area. Winners in Springfield-area districts include:

Senate District 29

Mike Moon – Republican – winner

House District 129

John Black – Republican – winner

House District 130 – Incumbent Republican Bishop Davidson was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Bishop Davidson – Republican
Leslie Jones – Democratic

House District 131 – Incumbent Republican Bill Owen was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Bill Owen – Republican
Ashley Cossins – Democratic

House District 132 – Democratic candidate Jeremy Dean was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Jeremy Dean – Democratic
Stephanos Freeman – Republican

House District 133 – Incumbent Republican Melanie Stinnett was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Melanie Stinnett – Republican
Derrick Nowlin – Democratic

House District 134

Alex Riley – Republican – winner

House District 135 – Incumbent Democrat Betsy Fogle was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Betsy Fogle – Democratic
Michael Hasty – Republican

House District 136 – Incumbent Democrat Stephanie Hein was ahead in early totals but many votes remained uncounted late Tuesday due to delayed results in Greene County.

Stephanie Hein – Democratic
Jim Robinette – Republican

House District 137

Darin Chappell – Republican – winner

House District 138

Burt Whaley – Republican – winner

House District 139

Bob Titus – Republican – winner

House District 140

Jamie Ray Gragg – Republican – winner

There’s was only one contested race for Greene County office, for the District 2 seat on the county commission. With half of the country’s precincts reported, incumbent John Russell, a Republican, was leading Democratic candidate Tim McGrady by a margin of more than 10 percentage points.

Other county races, all featuring Republican incumbents running unopposed, included:

Greene County Sheriff – Jim C Arnott – winner

Greene County Assessor – Brent Johnson – winner

Greene County Treasurer – Justin R. Hill – winner

Greene County Public Administrator – Sherri Eagon Martin – winner

Final results were not available by late Tuesday night but all the judges up for retention votes on Springfield-area ballots were poised to remain in office. They included:

Judge Kelly C. Broniec of the Missouri Supreme Court
Judge Ginger K. Gooch of the Missouri Supreme Court
Judge Becky J.W. Borthwick of the Court of Appeals – Southern District
Judge Jennifer R. Growcock of the Court of Appeals – Southern District
Judge Derek A. Ankrom of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 1
Judge Kaiti Greenwade of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 2
Judge Dan Wichmer of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 3
Judge T. Todd Myers of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 4
Judge Jerry A. Harmison, Jr. of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 5
Judge Joshua B. Christensen of the Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 6
Judge Andy Hosmer of the Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 23
Judge Kirsten Poppen of the Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 24
Judge Josephine (Jody) L. Stockard of the Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 25
Judge Ron Carrier of the Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 31 – Div 26

A question asking Springfield voters to replace the city’s expiring 3/4-cent sales tax — which since 2009 has funded the shortfall in the city’s police and fire pension fund — with a new combination of taxes of equal amount appeared to be approved late Tuesday. With 46 of 56 precincts reporting, votes in favor were well ahead, with the tax garnering more than 62% of the vote.

Amendment 2, which would legalize sports betting in Missouri, was slightly ahead in the vote tally but results were not final late Tuesday.

Amendment 3, enshrining abortion-rights protections in the state’s constitution, was approved Tuesday.

Amendment 5, which would amend the state constitution and expand riverboat gambling in Missouri to allow a casino on the Osage River, had not been called late Tuesday but was trending toward defeat in late results.

This amendment, which would have allowed the state to levy court fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys, was trending toward defeat Tuesday.

Amendment 7, placed on the Nov. 5 ballots by the Missouri legislature, alters the state constitution to effectively ban ranked-choice voting in the state, as well as stipulating that only U.S. citizens can vote. It passed decisively Tuesday.

Proposition A was approved Tuesday, increasing the minimum wage in Missouri — which currently stands at $12.30 an hour — and requiring employers to provide paid sick leave. It calls for Missouri’s minimum wage to increase to $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2025, then to $15 an hour in 2026, with adjustments each year after that based on the Consumer Price Index. Employers would be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

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Missouri

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

Published

3 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

COLUMBIA — Hundreds of Missouri realtors were in Columbia Thursday to show their opposition to a couple of proposals on the August 4th ballot. The Missouri Association of Realtors hosted a statewide rally against Amendments 4 & 5. Realtors distributed tens of thousands of yard signs, bumper stickers, buttons, and literature.

More than 26,000 Missouri realtors want Missourians to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5. They said the proposals ignore tax restrictions that Missouri voters put into the Missouri Constitution. Amendment 4 would modify the current requirements for a simple statewide majority vote. Amendment 5 would require the phase out of the individual state income tax. Matthew Becker is the Treasurer-Elect for the Missouri Board of Realtors and said Amendment 5 would give too much power to state government.

Becker said, “Amendment 5 is nothing more than a bait and switch. Amendment 5 literally wants to go out and give our legislature a blank checkbook for the next 5 years.”

Jefferson City Realtor Logan Gratz said Amendment 4 favors politicians and destroys majority rule for Missourians.

Gratz said, “Realtors have always been major advocates of property owners, of property rights, good business, and good tax policy.”

Springfield area State Representative Bishop Davidson said Missouri realtors were wrong when they opposed Amendments 4 & 5. Davidson said Amendment 5 would improve Missouri’s tax system.

Davidson said, “Right now, the way our tax structure works is old and archaic. It discourages economic growth. When it comes to Amendment 4, what I would say is protecting our Missouri Constitution is important.”

Governor Mike Kehoe’s communication director sent KRCG a statement that said, “Governor Kehoe supports Amendment 5 because it is a revenue-triggered, constitutionally protected path to eliminating Missouri’s individual income tax, allowing workers to keep more of every paycheck.”

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Missouri

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Published

14 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Missouri Farm Bureau’s 2026 Agritourism Conference will be held Sunday through Tuesday in Hermann, bringing together agritourism stakeholders to explore opportunities in Missouri’s growing agritourism sector.

The conference usually draws 60-70 attendees annually, said Janet Adkison, director of public affairs and advocacy with Missouri Farm Bureau. This includes farmers, agribusiness leaders, tourism professionals and local economic development partners.

At the conference, participants will see firsthand how farms, wineries, orchards and other value-added agriculture business and rural destinations are connecting tourists and consumers with the state’s agriculture scene, while diversifying revenue streams for farm families and rural communities.

“Whenever folks think of agritourism, they think of a pumpkin patch or a flower farm,” Adkison said. “But agritourism is really anything that gets folks to connect with the agriculture industry. So from your Airbnbs that are out in rural Missouri to the wineries that you see across the countryside, to even a tree farm or just a simple orchard, those are all part of Missouri’s agritourism industry.”

The conference kicks off Sunday with welcome remarks by Missouri Farm Bureau president Garrett Hawkins and a dinner at Hermann Farm Store Barn. Participants will spend the nights at The Inn at Hermannhof.

Monday will include an agritourism bus tour, with stops at Thierbach Orchard, Heritage Valley Tree Farm, White Mule Winery & BNB and Cool Cow Cheese, where participants have the opportunity to speak to business owners.

It will be followed by a farm-to-table, wine-pairing dinner at Hermannhof Winery Court with the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

“If you are somebody who’s interested in agritourism, you get to hear from somebody who’s been there and done that, and some of the hurdles that they may have experienced along the way,” Adkison said. “You’ll have that exposure both on the tour and also during the programs that they’ll provide on Tuesday.”

On the final day of the conference, participants will attend educational workshops and network with other vendors at Hermannhof Festhalle. Topics discussed in the workshops include marketing, risk management, USDA Rural Development resources for agricultural businesses.

“You’ll hear from some folks as far as the missteps or wins that they had while trying to market and get those crowds to come to the farm, and sometimes something might work, (or) something surprises you and it doesn’t work,” Adkison said.

The conference location rotates around the state each year — past stops have included northeast and west central Missouri, which Adkison said gives the conference a chance to showcase how agritourism looks based on the terrain and agricultural strength of each region.

Find out more about the event or register for it at mofb.org/event/2026-agritourism.

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Missouri

Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Published

24 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Former Missouri Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon followed in his ancestor’s footsteps, 250 years to the day.

On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon was the first person to publicly read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall.

Jay Nixon, along with other Missouri officials from local, state and national offices, participated in a semiquincentennial celebration at the Historical Greene County Courthouse on July 8, 2026.

“As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, may we remember not only the courage of those who signed the declaration, but also our responsibility to preserve the freedoms they declare,” said Connie Yen, director of the Greene County Archives and Records Center.

While the reading of the Declaration of Independence was the main event, patriotic music from the Salvation Army Band, Springfield Sound, the Patriotic Chorale — as well as the national anthem sung by former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft and former judge and representative Max Bacon — rang throughout the courthouse’s rotunda, which was packed with people. The music itself, Ashcroft said, was a metaphor for the nation.

“There is something charming about America that doesn’t require that we be uniform. There’s a difference between unity and uniformity. As a matter of fact, you can’t have harmony if you only have one note. You have to sing different notes for things to be harmonic and it’s much more beautiful,” he said. “Maybe America is America not because of uniformity or everybody being in unison, but America may be America because we have disparity, but we’re in harmony. We believe in unity, not uniformity.”

Before reading the Declaration of Independence, Nixon shared part of a speech he gave at Fulton’s Westminster College in August 2025, where he encouraged people to “resist apathy with action” through involvement with civic and faith organizations, and by voting. Like others, he emphasized diversity as the strength of America.

“(We’re) a nation of immigrants. Many of our ancestors fled poverty, injustice and tyranny to build something better. We are the great-great-great-grandchildren of slaves, and those who enslaved them; the first families who inhabited these lands, and those who drove them from it,” Nixon said. “A nation of scrappy strivers stitched together by our ideals, marked by original sins, but redeemed by the courage and sacrifice that saved us from fascism and unleashed freedom and prosperity — the envy of the world. That is the true story we all need to tell, the promise we made to each other that we work every day to keep.”

The reading was followed by an ice cream social, co-hosted by the Greene County Democratic and Republican women’s clubs.

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