JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson’s office said he would name a new attorney general on Wednesday following current Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s election to the U.S. Senate earlier this month.
The announcement was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the governor’s office, according to a press advisory from the governor’s office.
As governor, Parson, a Republican, names replacements to statewide offices when there is a vacancy.
He will also name a new state treasurer after current Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican, was elected state auditor on Nov. 8. Fitzpatrick will replace State Auditor Nicole Galloway, the last Democrat holding statewide office in Missouri. Her term ends in January.
Names that have been mentioned for attorney general include: Andrew Bailey, Parson’s general counsel; former state Sen. Kurt Schaefer, who ran for attorney general in 2016 and lost; state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville; Tim Garrison, former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri; and Will Scharf, attorney and former policy director for former Gov. Eric Greitens.
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Parson, the former lieutenant governor who took office in 2018 after Greitens resigned, will have appointed five statewide officeholders after his upcoming attorney general and treasurer picks.
After he was sworn in as governor, he named then-state Sen. Mike Kehoe lieutenant governor.
When then-Attorney General Josh Hawley was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018, Parson named his replacement — then-Treasurer Eric Schmitt.
Parson replaced Schmitt in the treasurer’s office with Fitzpatrick, who had been chairman of the House Budget Committee.
Parson, Kehoe, Schmitt and Fitzpatrick were elected to their posts in 2020.