Missouri politics just doesn't do "quiet" anymore. If you were watching the Missouri governor race unfold over the last couple of years, you saw a masterclass in how a "car guy" from St. Louis managed to outmaneuver the scion of a political dynasty and a firebrand state senator before comfortably sailing into the Governor’s Mansion.
Mike Kehoe is the name on the door now. As of January 2026, he’s officially a year into his term as the 58th Governor of Missouri. But looking back at the 2024 cycle, it wasn’t always a sure bet, at least not in the early days of the primary.
Honestly, the real drama happened way before the general election even started.
The Primary That Changed Everything
Most people focus on the November showdown, but the Missouri governor race was effectively decided in August. You had three heavyweights: Mike Kehoe, the sitting Lieutenant Governor; Jay Ashcroft, the Secretary of State with a legendary last name; and Bill Eigel, a State Senator who basically campaigned with a flamethrower (literally, in one viral video).
Early on, Ashcroft was the guy to beat. Name ID is a hell of a drug in politics. But Kehoe had something better: a massive war chest and the "institutional" backing of almost every major agriculture and business group in the state.
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Kehoe played the long game. He spent years visiting every tiny town from Rock Port to Caruthersville. While Eigel and Ashcroft were fighting over who was "more conservative" on the airwaves, Kehoe was leaning into his life story—raised by a single mom, started as a car washer, and eventually owned a Ford dealership.
The strategy worked. Kehoe pulled 39.4% of the primary vote, leaving Eigel at 32.6% and Ashcroft trailing at 23.2%. It was a definitive rejection of the "burn it all down" wing of the party in favor of a guy who looked like he knew how to run a business.
General Election Breakdown
When November 5, 2024, finally rolled around, Kehoe faced Democrat Crystal Quade. Quade, the House Minority Leader, was an underdog from the jump. Missouri hasn't elected a Democratic governor since Jay Nixon's re-election in 2012, and the "red wave" in the state has only gotten deeper since then.
The numbers were stark:
- Mike Kehoe (R): 1,750,802 votes (59.1%)
- Crystal Quade (D): 1,146,173 votes (38.7%)
Kehoe didn't just win; he dominated. He carried 113 of Missouri’s 114 counties plus the City of St. Louis. That last part is a bit of a statistical anomaly—Republicans usually get crushed in St. Louis city, but Kehoe’s roots there and his focus on crime resonated enough to tip the scales in a way we haven't seen in a while.
Quade's campaign tried to lean hard into Amendment 3, the ballot measure that successfully overturned Missouri’s total abortion ban. She hoped the surge of voters coming out to support reproductive rights would carry her into office. It didn't. Missourians proved they are perfectly capable of voting for a liberal social policy and a staunchly conservative governor on the same ballot.
The Issues That Actually Mattered
If you ask a political consultant in Jeff City why the Missouri governor race went the way it did, they’ll point to three things: crime, the border, and the economy.
Kehoe ran as a "law and order" candidate. He promised to take state control of the St. Louis Police Department—a promise he’s been actively working on in 2025. He also spent a lot of time talking about the southern border. You might wonder why a guy running for governor of a Midwestern state cares about Texas, but for Missouri voters, "the border" is shorthand for the fentanyl crisis hitting rural communities.
Quade's Missed Connection
Crystal Quade was a strong communicator. She grew up in a trailer park and talked about the "working class" in a way that felt authentic. But she was outspent nearly 6 to 1. In a state as big as Missouri, if you can't afford the TV ads in the Kansas City and St. Louis markets, you’re basically shouting into a vacuum.
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She also struggled with the "rural-urban divide." While she held her own in Springfield (her home turf) and the urban cores, she got absolutely hammered in the "Bootheel" and the northern rural counties.
What’s Happened Since the Election?
Kehoe didn't waste any time once he was sworn in on January 13, 2025. If you've been following the news lately, you know his first year has been defined by a "back to basics" approach, but with a hard-right edge on specific issues.
- Education Funding: He pushed for a massive expansion of the MOScholars program. It's a tax-credit system that helps kids go to private schools. Critics say it's gutting public ed; Kehoe says it's "parental choice."
- Tax Cuts: He's continued the trend of his predecessor, Mike Parson, by chipping away at the state income tax.
- Infrastructure: This is Kehoe’s bread and butter. He used to be on the Highway and Transportation Commission, so he's obsessed with I-70. Expect a lot of orange cones for the next three years.
A Year of Friction
It hasn't been all smooth sailing. Kehoe has already had some dust-ups with the more "Freedom Caucus" aligned members of the state senate. Just because a Republican is in the governor's office doesn't mean the party is unified. They’ve fought over everything from how to handle ballot initiatives to who gets appointed to the State Board of Education.
Realities of the 2024 Missouri Governor Race
What most people get wrong about this race is thinking it was a "toss-up" because of the abortion amendment. It wasn't. Missouri is a state where the "R" next to a name is worth about 15 points before anyone even says a word.
Kehoe won because he didn't scare people. He looked like a safe pair of hands. For Missourians, who have seen plenty of political chaos (remember Eric Greitens?), "safe" was exactly what they wanted.
Actionable Insights for Missourians
If you want to stay involved or understand how the results of the Missouri governor race affect your daily life in 2026, here is what you should be looking at:
- Watch the Budget: Kehoe just delivered his 2026 State of the State address. Pay attention to how much money is actually reaching rural hospitals versus being tucked away in the "Rainy Day" fund.
- Police Control: If you live in St. Louis, the state takeover of the police department is the biggest story of the year. It changes how the city is governed at a fundamental level.
- Local Initiatives: Since Kehoe and the legislature are looking to make it harder to pass future ballot measures, if there's an issue you care about (like recreational marijuana or the minimum wage), the "rules of the game" are changing right now.
The 2024 race might be over, but the policy shifts it triggered are just starting to hit the ground. Keep your eyes on Jefferson City—the next three years are going to be busy.