Who’s running for Missouri governor in 2024?

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Five Missouri state offices, including the governor’s seat, are up for grabs in the general election this November.

Mike Parson inherited the Missouri governor’s seat after Eric Greitens resigned in 2018. Parson finished up that term and was elected to another full term in 2020. He is no longer eligible to run again, setting the stage for a new governor in 2025.

Missouri’s gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 5, 2024. Candidates were officially required to file paperwork to run for governor by March 26. The primary elections, to choose one candidate from each party, are set for Aug. 6.

More than a dozen candidates plan to run for the Missouri governor’s office. That includes nine Republican candidates, five Democratic candidates, one Libertarian Party candidate and one Independent Party candidate.

Republican candidates

• Jay Ashcroft , currently serving as the Missouri Secretary of State.
• Mike Kehoe , currently serving as the Missouri Lieutenant Governor.
• Bill Eigel , a Missouri State Senator from St. Charles County.
• Chris Wright
• Jeremy Gundel
• Robert James Olson
• Darrell Leon McClanahan
• Amber Thomsen
• Darren L. Grant (no website/social pages)

Jay Ashcroft is the son of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. He also has experience as an engineer and an attorney.

Mike Kehoe became lieutenant governor in 2018 after Parson was appointed governor. He brings seven years of experience in the Missouri Senate, three as a majority leader.

Bill Eigel is a U.S. Air Force veteran who has served as a state senator since 2017.

Chris Wright is an army veteran and National Guardsman based out of Joplin. He does not have any previous political experience in Missouri.

Experience of Gundel, Olson, McClanahan, Thomas and Grant in political offices, Missouri or elsewhere, is either limited or none.

Democrat candidates

• Crystal Quade , currently serving as the Missouri House Minority Leader.
• Mike Hamra , an entrepreneur based out of Springfield.
• Sheryl Gladney , a councilwoman from Breckenridge Hills.
• Eric D. Morrison
• Hollis L. Laster

Crystal Quade has served with the Missouri House since 2016 and as the minority leader since 2019. She has also served on the state’s budget committee for several years.

Mike Hamara is the President and CEO of Hamra Enterprises. He does not have any previous political experience in Missouri.

Sheryl Gladney has previously served with the Breckenridge Hills City Council.

Eric D. Morrison is a longtime pastor based out of the Kansas City metropolitan area. He does not have any previous political experience in Missouri.

Experience of Hollis L. Laster in political offices, Missouri or elsewhere, is either limited or none.

Libertarian candidate

• Bill Slantz , state chair of the Libertarian Party of Missouri

Bill Slantz is a businessman based out of St. Charles County who also serves as the state chair of the Libertarian Party of Missouri. He is the party’s lone governor candidate to date.

Independent candidate

• Larry Flenoid II , a politician based out of Springfield.

Larry Flenoid II previously campaigned for a Missouri House seat in 2022. He is the lone independent candidate to date.

Also of note

Campaign finance records reveal Kehoe is leading in the GOP in fundraising efforts for Missouri governor, though recent poll projections indicate it could be a close call for the Republican ticket. Crystal Quade and Mike Hamra appear to have a fundraising edge in the Democratic party, according to the Missouri Independent .

The Missouri Governor’s Office has been run by Republican leadership since 2017, though it’s been split nearly half-and-half between the GOP and Democratic party since the turn to the 21st century.

Outgoing Gov. Mike Parson recently announced an endorsement for Kehoe as his potential successor.

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