Missouri state executive official elections, 2016

	Key election dates
	Filing deadline (major parties): ; March 29, 2016
	Primary date: ; August 2, 2016
	Filing deadline (general election): ; August 23, 2016
	General election date: ; November 8, 2016
	Recount request deadline: ; TBD
	Inauguration: ; January 9, 2017

	2017 → ← 2015
	; Missouri Executive Official Elections
	Top Ballot; Governor • Lt. Governor; Attorney General • Secretary of State; Treasurer; Down Ballot; None; The Show Me State

Missouri 2016 elections

Presidential • U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • State judges • Local judges • State ballot measures • School boards • Candidate ballot access

Five state executive offices in Missouri were up for election in 2016:

HIGHLIGHTS

Missouri has a divided government and is regarded as a swing state, with both Democrats and Republicans winning statewide elections in recent years.

All five offices up for election were open races in 2016 and were expected to be highly competitive.

All five seats were won by Republicans, four of which changed party hands. Republicans also won the governorship, earning the party trifecta control of the state.

Context of the 2016 elections

Primary elections

A primary election is an election in which voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Missouri utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Missouri's primary elections took place on August 2, 2016.

Party control in Missouri

Missouri had a divided government after Governor Jay Nixon (D) assumed office in 2009, which ended a four-year Republican trifecta. Prior to that, Democrats had trifecta control of the state government from 1993 to 2000. The governorship in Missouri tended to alternate party hands from the 1970s to the 2016 election, with no party controlling the seat for more than 12 years continuously. Democrat Claire McCaskill represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate from 2007 to the 2016 election; she served alongside Roy Blunt (R), who was elected in 2011.

2016 elections

Races we watched

Governor

Missouri's gubernatorial election in 2016 was one of the most-watched contests for governor in 2016. Republican Eric Greitens won the seat—which had previously been held by a Democrat—giving the Republican Party trifecta control of the state.

HIGHLIGHTS

Democratic Governor Jay Nixon was ineligible for re-election due to term limits.

Former Navy Seal and nonprofit CEO Eric Greitens (R) defeated Attorney General Chris Koster in the November general election. Greitens' victory earned Republicans trifecta control of the state.

Eric Greitens defeated Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, businessman John Brunner, and former state House Speaker Catherine Hanaway in the August 2 Republican primary election.

The race was rated as a Toss-up.

Lieutenant governor

Missouri held an election for lieutenant governor on November 8, 2016, with a primary on August 2. Republican Mike Parson won the general election, keeping the seat in Republican hands.

HIGHLIGHTS

Incumbent Peter Kinder (R) was eligible for re-election in 2016 but instead unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor, leaving the lieutenant governor election an open and highly competitive race.

Though Republicans have held the seat since 2005, Democrats had controlled the office for most of the 80 years prior.

Former U.S. Congressman Russ Carnahan won the Democratic nomination on August 2 and competed with state Senator Mike Parson, who won the Republican nomination, Libertarian Steven Hedrick, Green Party candidate Jennifer Leach, and write-in Jake Wilburn in the November 8 general election.

Parson won the general election on November 8, 2016.

Attorney general

Missouri held an election for attorney general on November 8, 2016, with primary elections held on August 2. Republican Josh Hawley won election to the seat, which had previously been held by Democrats.

HIGHLIGHTS

Incumbent Attorney General Chris Koster (D), although eligible for re-election to a third term, did not run, having decided to run for governor of Missouri instead.

Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley defeated Jake Zimmerman in the August 2 Democratic primary election. Law professor Josh Hawley defeated state Sen. Kurt Schaefer in the Republican primary election.

The general election was rated as a Toss-up; Democrats were at risk of losing control of the seat in November.

Hawley won the general election on November 8, 2016.

Secretary of state

Missouri held an election for secretary of state on November 8, 2016. Republican Jay Ashcroft won the seat, which had previously been held by Democrats.

HIGHLIGHTS

Incumbent Jason Kander (D) declined to seek re-election, running for the United States Senate instead.

Democrats have controlled the office for most of the past seven decades.

Retired news anchor Robin Smith (D) and attorney Jay Ashcroft (R) won their parties' nominations on August 2. The two competed along with Chris Morrill (Lib.), who ran unopposed in his party's primary election, in November.

Ashcroft won the general election on November 8, 2016.

Elections by office

Governor

To view race information, click [show] to expand the full section.

Chris Koster (D)
Attorney general of Missouri since 2009

Eric Greitens (R)
Nonprofit executive, former Navy SEAL

Cisse Spragins (Lib.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for secretary of state

Don Fitz (Green Party)
Unknown

Lester Turilli Jr. (Ind.)
Unknown

Click [show] to see candidates who were defeated in the primary elections or who withdrew from this race.

Defeated in the primary elections

Prominent candidates

Ballotpedia uses a variety of standards to determine which candidates will feature prominently in a given race.

Eric Morrison (D)
Pastor and civil rights activist

Charles B. Wheeler (D)
State Sen., 2003-2007

John Brunner (R)
Businessman

Catherine Hanaway (R)
Attorney, former state representative

Peter Kinder (R)
Lieutenant governor of Missouri since 2005

Other candidates

Leonard Steinman (D) - Retired truck driver^[4]

Withdrawn

Randy Asbury (R)- Former member of the Missouri House of Representatives^[5]

Bob Dixon (R)- Missouri State Senator^[6]
Tom Schweich (R)- Former Missouri state auditor (deceased)
Mike Parson (R)- Missouri state senator^[7]

Martin Lindstedt (Lib.)

General election

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

Primary election results

Democratic primary election

Chris Koster defeated Eric Morrison, Charles B. Wheeler, and Leonard Steinman in the Missouri Democratic primary for governor.

Missouri Democratic primary for governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Chris Koster	78.75%	256,272
Eric Morrison	9.67%	31,474
Charles B. Wheeler	7.91%	25,756
Leonard Steinman	3.66%	11,911
Total Votes (3214 of 3214 precincts reporting)		325,413
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Republican primary election

Eric Greitens defeated John Brunner, Peter Kinder, and Catherine Hanaway in the Missouri Republican primary for governor.

Missouri Republican primary for governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Eric Greitens	34.56%	236,481
John Brunner	24.79%	169,620
Peter Kinder	20.70%	141,629
Catherine Hanaway	19.95%	136,521
Total Votes (3214 of 3214 precincts reporting)		684,251
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Libertarian primary election

Cisse Spragins ran unopposed in the Missouri Libertarian primary for governor.

Missouri Libertarian primary for governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Cisse Spragins (unopposed)	100.00%	3,515
Total Votes (3214 of 3214 precincts reporting)		3,515
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Lieutenant governor

To view race information, click [show] to expand the full section.

Russ Carnahan (D)
U.S. congressman, 2005 to 2013

Mike Parson (R)
State Sen.

Steven Hedrick (Lib.)
2014 candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives

Jake Wilburn (write-in)
Healthcare safety

Jennifer Leach (Green Party)
Musician, former automotive worker

Click [show] to see candidates who were defeated in the primary elections, declined to run, or withdrew from this race.

Defeated in the primary elections

Winston Apple (D)
Musician

Tommie Pierson (D)
State Rep. since 2011

Bev Randles (R)
Private practice attorney

Other candidates

Ballotpedia uses a variety of standards to determine which candidates will feature prominently in a given race.

AC Dienoff (R) - 2012 candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives^[8]

Declined

Brad Bradshaw (D) - physician and attorney^[9]
Jason Holsman (D) - state senator
Peter Kinder (R) - incumbent

Withdrew

Mary Bower (write-in)^[10]