JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson may get another chance to pick a new attorney general and a new state treasurer next month.
If Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt beats Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine in the race to replace Roy Blunt as Missouri’s next U.S. senator, the governor has the power to anoint a successor to serve out the remainder of the term.
The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro ºüÀêÊÓƵ present this guide to the candidates and races on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Same goes for treasurer, where the current officeholder, Republican Scott Fitzpatrick, is running against largely underfunded Democrat Alan Green for state auditor.
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That’s how both Schmitt and Fitzpatrick originally got their jobs. Both were named to their new posts by Parson after Josh Hawley, then serving as attorney general, was elected as Missouri’s junior senator in 2018.
The possibility that Parson — who was originally elevated to his post after the resignation of former Gov. Eric Greitens — could net two more opportunities to put his fingerprints on the future of Missouri politics could be a notable footnote in his legacy.
It’s not yet clear how active discussions have been about the possible treasurer vacancy, but Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones said the governor has a plan if Schmitt wins.
“He’ll have a list of five people he plans to interview before making a selection,†Jones told the Post-Dispatch.
For some, the jockeying has been underway for months.
Names that have been circulating include former Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia. Schaefer, who is now a lobbyist, made an unsuccessful bid for attorney general in 2016, losing the Republican nomination to Hawley.
Tim Garrison, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, also is a potential appointee. He considered a bid for Congress last year but did not formally enter the race.
“I loved my time as a prosecutor. I feel like I’ve got a heart for the work and have had some success at it,†Garrison said Wednesday. “Whoever is fortunate to get it will have a great opportunity to serve the state.â€
Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, also has surfaced as a candidate. Luetkemeyer, an attorney, was elected to the Senate in 2018. He is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sits on the Senate’s budget writing panel.
Missouri Scout, a private news service that tracks Missouri politics, floated the name of attorney Edward Greim as a possible contender in September.
Greim, who is a partner at the Graves Garrett law firm in Kansas City, has been active in the Federalist Society and filed litigation after the 2020 election seeking to challenge the outcome of the presidential race in the battleground state of Michigan.
Greim also represented the governor’s office when former Gov. Eric Greitens was on the cusp of being impeached by the Missouri House in June 2018 amid allegations he blackmailed and sexually assaulted his former hairdresser.
Another potential candidate is Andrew Bailey, who serves as general counsel in the governor’s office.
Bailey, of Rhineland, was hired as general counsel last year after serving as deputy since 2019. Before joining the governor’s office, he was the top attorney at the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Bailey, an Army veteran, also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Warren County and as an assistant attorney general.
But information about any internal discussions with Bailey about the position are not likely to be known before 2023.
In response to a Sunshine Law request filed by the Post-Dispatch, the governor’s administration acknowledged there were at least 47 emails, phone texts or other memos that could indicate whether any such discussions have occurred.
But the governor’s office said it may take them until Jan. 10 to release the records, a date long after a replacement for Schmitt is expected to be named.
Dakota Julian, who serves as Parson’s custodian of public records, said the process of collecting and reviewing the documents is dependent on the availability of staff members to locate the records.
“The date provided above considers these circumstances to provide the responsive records at the earliest date available,†Julian noted.