Missouri is weird. Honestly, if you look at the map from the last cycle, it's a confusing mess of deep red loyalty and surprisingly progressive streaks. You’ve got a state that overwhelmingly handed its 10 electoral votes to Donald Trump—giving him about 58.5% of the vote—while simultaneously voting to put abortion rights into the state constitution. It doesn't make sense on paper, right? But that’s the reality of the state of missouri election results.
People outside the Midwest tend to write Missouri off as a solid "red state" and leave it at that. That’s a mistake. If you actually dig into the numbers, you see a voter base that is fiercely independent when it comes to specific issues, even if they stay loyal to the GOP brand for candidates.
The Red Wall Stayed Put for Candidates
When it came to the big offices, there weren't many surprises. Republicans swept every single statewide seat. Mike Kehoe basically cruised into the Governor’s mansion with over 59% of the vote, leaving Democrat Crystal Quade in the rearview mirror.
Josh Hawley kept his Senate seat too. He beat Lucas Kunce by a comfortable margin, though Kunce actually out-fundraised him for a good chunk of the race. It’s funny—Kunce ran a campaign focused on "man-of-the-people" populist energy, but in Missouri, that GOP "R" next to a name is still a massive mountain to climb. Hawley ended up with about 55.6% of the total.
The rest of the "red sweep" looked like this:
- Dave Wasinger took the Lieutenant Governor spot.
- Denny Hoskins won the Secretary of State race.
- Andrew Bailey kept his job as Attorney General, pulling in nearly 60% of the vote.
- Vivek Malek stayed on as State Treasurer.
Basically, if you were a Republican running for an office with a title, you had a very good night.
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The Big Shocker: Amendment 3 and Reproductive Rights
Now, this is where the state of missouri election results get interesting. While the state was electing all those conservative candidates, it was also passing Amendment 3.
This wasn't some narrow, fluke win. It passed with 51.6% of the vote. This amendment essentially gutted the state's near-total abortion ban and enshrined "reproductive freedom" into the state constitution. Think about that. The same person who checked the box for Donald Trump often turned around and checked "Yes" for abortion access.
It tells you that Missourians don't like being told what to do by the government, even a government they voted for. The amendment doesn't just cover abortion; it protects birth control and miscarriage care too. It’s a massive shift for a state that was the first to implement a trigger ban after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Proposition A: Money in the Pocket
If you thought the abortion vote was the only progressive "win," look at Proposition A. Missourians decided they wanted a raise. They voted to hike the minimum wage to $13.75 an hour starting in 2025, and it’s going up to $15.00 by 2026.
It also mandates paid sick leave. This passed with nearly 58% support. That’s almost the exact same percentage that Mike Kehoe got. It’s wild. You have people voting for a Republican governor who generally opposes mandatory wage hikes, while simultaneously voting for the wage hike itself.
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Betting on the Future (Literally)
Then there was Amendment 2. This was the sports betting one. It was a nail-biter. Like, "don't-go-to-sleep-yet" levels of close.
It passed by fewer than 5,000 votes.
Because of that tiny margin, Missouri is finally joining the rest of its neighbors in legalizing sports gambling. The 10% tax revenue is supposed to go toward Missouri schools, which was a huge selling point in the ads. If you’ve been driving across the border to Kansas just to place a bet on the Chiefs, you won’t have to do that much longer.
Why the Results Look This Way
So, why the split? Why the "red" candidates and "blue" policies?
Honestly, Missouri has a long history of this. We love the initiative petition process. It’s how we got medical marijuana, then recreational marijuana, and how we expanded Medicaid. Missouri voters seem to trust themselves more than they trust the politicians in Jefferson City.
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The urban-rural divide is still the biggest factor in the state of missouri election results. St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia (Boone County) are islands of blue in a sea of red. But even in those red counties, you saw "Yes" votes on the minimum wage and abortion rights.
What’s Next for Missouri?
The dust has settled, but the legal battles are probably just starting. Even though Amendment 3 passed, expect the legislature to try and find ways to regulate it or put new hurdles in place. They’ve already tried to make it harder to pass initiative petitions in the first place.
If you’re a worker in Missouri, keep an eye on your paystub. That $13.75 minimum wage kicks in on January 1, 2025. And if you're a sports fan, get your apps ready, though it’ll take a minute for the Gaming Commission to actually hand out the licenses.
Actionable Insights for Missourians:
- Check your local registration: Even though the big one is over, local municipal elections happen every April. That’s where your property taxes and school boards are decided.
- Track your sick leave: Under Prop A, you start accruing one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked starting May 1, 2025. Know your rights before your boss tries to "forget" them.
- Stay engaged with the Secretary of State: Since the rules for ballot initiatives are constantly under fire in the legislature, keep an eye on how future petitions are handled.
The state of missouri election results proved one thing: you can't put this state in a box. It's a place where people want conservative leadership but progressive protections for their wallets and their bodily autonomy. It's messy, it's confusing, and it's perfectly Missouri.