Last week, the Missouri Cattlemen's Association tweeted Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, would run for governor in the 2016 race.
Parson, who could not be reached for comment by deadline, was
elected to the Missouri Senate in 2010 and served the House of Representatives 2004-10.
According to the
April 9 Twitter post - which shows Parson speaking before the MCA - the senator’s campaign is “unofficial for now” but an official announcement is on its way.
A former sheriff and U.S. Marine, Parson would run against former state Rep. Catherine Hanaway, a partner with Husch Blackwell LLP in St. Louis, and former state Rep. Randy Asbury, executive director of the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River, for the Republican nomination. Two others, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens and businessman John Brunner, also are considering a run. On the Democratic side, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has said he’ll run for the top state post.
Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich had
announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination Jan. 28, about a month before he committed suicide.
According to Missouri Digital News, Parson’s entrance into the Republican primary would not be a surprise to many within the statehouse. He had opened the possibility he would enter the race following the death of Schweich.
In an emotional speech to the Senate after Schweich's death, Parson attacked a negative radio advertisement making fun of Schweich's physical appearance.
The tweet about Parson's candidacy came on the same day as the funeral for Schweich's public information officer, Spence Jackson, who died of what Jefferson City police say appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot just one month after Schweich's suicide.[[In-content Ad]]
