Governor of Missouri
| Missouri Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $140,596 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $7,542,015 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section I the Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Governor of Missouri
Mike Kehoe | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 7, 2028 |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Other Missouri Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission |
The Governor of the State of Missouri is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Missouri. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.[1]
Missouri has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Missouri has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officer
The current Governor of Missouri is Mike Kehoe (R). Kehoe assumed office in 2025.
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, the Executive Department.[2]
Under Article IV, Section I:
|
The supreme executive power shall be vested in a governor.[2] |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
|---|
|
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
A candidate for governor must be:[2]
- at least thirty years old
- a citizen of the United States for at least fifteen years
- a resident of Missouri for at least ten years
Elections
Missouri state government organizational chart
Missouri elects governors in the presidential elections, that is, in leap years. For Missouri, 2016, 2020, 2024, and 2028 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Monday in the January following an election.
2024
- See also: Missouri gubernatorial election, 2024
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Larry Flenoid II (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sarah Unsicker (D)
Republican primary election
Libertarian primary election
2020
- See also: Missouri gubernatorial election, 2020
General election
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- La'Ondrill Brown (D)
- Edward Thurman (D)
Republican primary election
Green primary election
Libertarian primary election
2016
- See also: Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016
The general election for governor was held on November 8, 2016.
Eric Greitens defeated Chris Koster, Cisse Spragins, Lester Turilli, and Don Fitz in the Missouri governor election.
| Missouri Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Eric Greitens |
51.29% | 1,424,730 | |
| Democratic | Chris Koster | 45.40% | 1,261,110 | |
| Libertarian | Cisse Spragins | 1.47% | 40,718 | |
| Independent | Lester Turilli Jr. | 1.07% | 29,774 | |
| Green | Don Fitz | 0.75% | 20,785 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.03% | 737 | ||
| Total Votes | 2,777,854 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
2012
- 2012 General Election for Governor of Missouri
On November 6, 2012, incumbent Jay Nixon defeated Dave Spence (R) and Jim Higgins (L) to win a second term as governor.
| Governor of Missouri General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jay Nixon Incumbent |
54.8% | 1,494,056 | |
| Republican | Dave Spence | 42.5% | 1,160,265 | |
| Libertarian | Jim Higgins | 2.7% | 73,509 | |
| Total Votes | 2,727,830 | |||
| Election results via Missouri Secretary of State |
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Missouri governors are restricted to two terms in office during their lifetime.[2]
Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section 17
| No person shall be elected governor...more than twice, and no person who has held the office of governor..., or acted as governor..., for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected to the office of governor or treasurer shall be elected to the office of governor...more than once.[2] |
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Missouri governors from 1992 to 2013.
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article IV, Sections 11(a), (b), and (c).
Should a Governor-elect die before taking office, the Lieutenant Governor-elect shall be sworn in as the Governor. At any time that the sitting governor dies, resign, or is convicted or impeached, the Lieutenant Governor shall take over the office. Similarly, in the case of a temporary or permanent disability, the Lieutenant Governor is first in the line of succession.
Regardless of the reason for the vacancy, the line of succession after the Lieutenant Governor is the same:
- the President Pro Tem of the Senate
- the Speaker of the House of Representatives
- the State Auditor
- the State Treasurer
- the Attorney General
Whoever serves as Acting Governor shall have the full powers and emoluments of the office.
The Governor may state his or her temporary disability in writing to the Senate President Pro Tem and the Speaker of the House, at which point the governorship shall be vacant until the Governor indicates in writing to the same two officers that he or she is ready to resume the office.
A disability board made up of the same individuals in the line of succession as well as the Majority Floor Leaders in each chamber may convene to challenge a governor's declaration that is fit to resume office or initiate a hearing into the governor's fitness for office. If that board chooses to recommend the governor not discharge the office, they will deliver that decision to the President Pro Tem and the Speaker, who will, in turn, inform the Missouri Supreme Court.
The Court then convenes and has 21 days to reach a decision.
Any state officer who serves as Acting Governor is not considered to have vacated the office; that officer's chief administrative staffer shall discharge the office until the elected officer returns.
Duties
Missouri's governor is commander-in-chief of the state military forces in the state of Missouri. (§ 6) The governor appoints department heads and members of boards and commissions, including issuing, signing, and sealing the commission. (§ 5)
Additionally, the governor has the power to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, after conviction, for all offenses except treason and cases of impeachment. (§ 7) Specifically, the governor's pardon power does not include a power to parole.
Excepting bills to convene or adjourn and proposed Constitutional Amendments, all bills requiring the concurrence of both chambers must be presented to the Governor. (§ 8) In extraordinary circumstances, he or she may convene special sessions of the legislature. (§ 9)
At the start of each regular legislative session, at the end of the governor's term, and at other times he or she deems prudent, the governor shall address the legislature on the state of the state and make recommendations. (§ 9)[2]
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Making all appointments not otherwise provided for by law (§ 4)
- Submitting a budget to the legislature within 30 days of the start of each session (§ 24)
- Exercising a line-item veto on appropriations bills (§ 26) and reducing state expenditures in line with revenue (§ 27)
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Missouri has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
Role in state budget
- See also: Missouri state budget and finances
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[3]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by October 1.
- Agency hearings are held from January through April. Public hearings are held in January and February.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature no later than 30 days after the legislature convenes.
- The legislature is required to adopt a budget by the first Friday after the first Monday in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Missouri is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[3][4]
The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget. The legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, but the governor is required to sign one.[3]
Governor's office budget
The Governor's budget for 2024 was $7,542,015.[5]
Compensation
Under Section 21 of the Missouri Constitution, the governor's salary is fixed by law and, if changed, does not take effect during the current term. Former office holders are constitutionally barred from making claims.
Section 3, Article XIII of the Missouri Constitution created a Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials, which sets the compensation of elected government officials. The 21-member commission meets every two years, and is not to be comprised of employees of the state or any of its institutions nor immediate family members of any person ineligible to serve on the council.[6]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $140,596, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $137,167, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the governor earned a salary of $133,821, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $133,821.[17]
2010
In 2010, the Governor of Missouri was paid $133,821 a year, the 26th highest gubernatorial salary in America at the time.[18]
Historical officeholders
Since 1820, Missouri has had 58 governors. There have been 38 Democrats, 12 Republicans, 3 Jeffersonian Republicans, 2 Union, 2 Radical Republicans, and 1 Liberal Republican.[19]
| Number | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander McNair | 1820 | 1824 | Jeffersonian Republican |
| 2 | Frederick Bates | 1824 | 1825 | Jeffersonian Republican |
| 3 | Abraham J. Williams | 1825 | 1825 | Jeffersonian Republican |
| 4 | John Miller | 1825 | 1832 | Democratic |
| 5 | Daniel Dunklin | 1832 | 1836 | Democratic |
| 6 | Lilburn W. Boggs | 1836 | 1840 | Democratic |
| 7 | Thomas Reynolds | 1840 | 1844 | Democratic |
| 8 | Meredith Miles Marmaduke | 1844 | 1844 | Democratic |
| 9 | John Cummins Edwards | 1844 | 1848 | Democratic |
| 10 | Austin Augustus King | 1848 | 1853 | Democratic |
| 11 | Sterling Price | 1853 | 1857 | Democratic |
| 12 | Trusten Polk | 1857 | 1857 | Democratic |
| 13 | Hancock Lee Jackson | 1857 | 1857 | Democratic |
| 14 | Robert Marcellus Stewart | 1857 | 1861 | Democratic |
| 15 | Claiborne Fox Jackson | 1861 | 1861 | Democratic |
| 16 | Hamilton Rowan Gamble | 1861 | 1864 | Union |
| 17 | Willard Preble Hall | 1864 | 1865 | Union |
| 18 | Thomas Clement Fletcher | 1865 | 1869 | Radical Republican |
| 19 | Joseph Washington McClurg | 1869 | 1871 | Radical Republican |
| 20 | Benjamin Gratz Brown | 1871 | 1873 | Liberal Republican |
| 21 | Silas Woodson | 1873 | 1875 | Democratic |
| 22 | Charles Henry Hardin | 1875 | 1877 | Democratic |
| 23 | John Smith Phelps | 1877 | 1881 | Democratic |
| 24 | Thomas Theodore Crittenden | 1881 | 1885 | Democratic |
| 25 | John Sappington Marmaduke | 1885 | 1887 | Democratic |
| 26 | Albert Pickett Morehouse | 1887 | 1889 | Democratic |
| 27 | David Rowland Francis | 1889 | 1893 | Democratic |
| 28 | William Joel Stone | 1893 | 1897 | Democratic |
| 29 | Lon Vest Stephens | 1897 | 1901 | Democratic |
| 30 | Alexander Monroe Dockery | 1901 | 1905 | Democratic |
| 31 | Joseph Wingate Folk | 1905 | 1909 | Democratic |
| 32 | Herbert Spencer Hadley | 1909 | 1913 | Republican |
| 33 | Elliott Woolfolk Major | 1913 | 1917 | Democratic |
| 34 | Frederick Dozier Gardner | 1917 | 1921 | Democratic |
| 35 | Arthur Mastick Hyde | 1921 | 1925 | Republican |
| 36 | Sam Aaron Baker | 1925 | 1929 | Republican |
| 37 | Henry Stewart Caulfield | 1929 | 1933 | Republican |
| 38 | Guy Brasfield Park | 1933 | 1937 | Democratic |
| 39 | Lloyd Crow Stark | 1937 | 1941 | Democratic |
| 40 | Forrest C. Donnell | 1941 | 1945 | Republican |
| 41 | Phil M. Donnelly | 1945 | 1949 | Democratic |
| 42 | Forrest Smith | 1949 | 1953 | Democratic |
| 43 | Phil M. Donnelly | 1953 | 1957 | Democratic |
| 44 | James T. Blair, Jr. | 1957 | 1961 | Democratic |
| 45 | John M. Dalton | 1961 | 1965 | Democratic |
| 46 | Warren E. Hearnes | 1965 | 1973 | Democratic |
| 47 | Christopher S. Bond | 1973 | 1977 | Republican |
| 48 | Joseph P. Teasdale | 1977 | 1981 | Democratic |
| 49 | Christopher S. Bond | 1981 | 1985 | Republican |
| 50 | John Ashcroft | 1985 | 1993 | Republican |
| 51 | Mel Carnahan | 1993 | 2000 | Democratic |
| 52 | Roger Wilson | 2000 | 2001 | Democratic |
| 53 | Bob Holden | 2001 | 2005 | Democratic |
| 54 | Matt Blunt | 2005 | 2009 | Republican |
| 55 | Jay Nixon | 2009 | 2017 | Democratic |
| 56 | Eric Greitens | 2017 | 2018 | Republican |
| 57 | Michael L. Parson | 2018 | 2025 | Republican |
| 58 | Mike Kehoe | 2025 | Present | Republican |
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
Partisan breakdown of the Missouri governorship from 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, in Missouri there were Democratic governors in office for 17 years, including the last five, while there were Republican governors in office for five years.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Missouri, the Missouri State Senate and the Missouri House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
Missouri was one of eight states to demonstrate a dramatic partisan shift in the 22 years studied. A dramatic shift was defined by a movement of 40 percent or more toward one party over the course of the study period.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Missouri state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Missouri had Democratic trifectas from 1993-2000 and Republican trifectas from 2005-2008. Of the 22 years studied, Missouri never finished in the top-10 or bottom-10. It received its highest ranking of 13th overall in 2000, the most recent year of a Democratic trifecta. Its lowest ranking of 23rd overall occurred in 1993 and 2008, both years of which had government trifectas. In 1993 it was a Democratic trifecta, and in 2008 it was a Republican trifecta.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 18.75
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 20.00
- SQLI average with divided government: 18.33
Chart displaying the partisanship of Missouri government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).
State profile
| Demographic data for Missouri | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,076,204 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 68,742 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 82.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.8% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $48,173 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Missouri. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Missouri
Missouri voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Missouri coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Missouri
- United States congressional delegations from Missouri
- Public policy in Missouri
- Endorsers in Missouri
- Missouri fact checks
- More...
Contact information
Office of the Governor, Missouri
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3222
Fax: (573) 751-1495
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Missouri Constitution," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Justia, "Missouri Constitution," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Missouri Office of Administration, "FY 2025 Budget," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Missouri Boards and Commissions, “Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials,” accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "State Archives: Governors," accessed January 18, 2021, Missouri Governor, "About the Governor," accessed January 18, 2021
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