Missouri’s governor will announce his appointment for the next attorney general Tuesday morning in Jefferson City.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to the Capitol Press Corps after being sworn-in as governor on June 1, 2018 in Jefferson City (file photo by Tim Bommel/UPI)
Governor Mike Parson (R) has called a 9:45 a.m. press conference at the Statehouse to make the announcement.
The next Missouri attorney general will replace Josh Hawley (R), who is now Senator-Elect Hawley. The Columbia Republican unseated U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) last week.
Since Hawley is still attorney general, it’s unclear when the new appointee would be sworn-in.
Missouri’s attorney general must be a United States citizen and a Missouri resident for at least one year, and must be licensed to practice law.
Some names that have been speculated as possibilities for the appointment include State Treasurer Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and former State Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia.
Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones told Missourinet late Monday afternoon that the governor’s office is not announcing anything ahead of Tuesday morning’s press conference.
Former State Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, tweeted Monday evening, saying “it would be a huge mistake” for Governor Parson to appoint a current statewide officeholder to fill the attorney general position.
Cunningham tweeted that would mean that four of Missouri’s six statewide officials were not elected to their positions by voters.
This will be the first time a Missouri governor has appointed an attorney general in 93 years.
Missourinet’s Bob Priddy reports Columbia attorney North Todd Gentry was appointed attorney general in November 1925. Priddy says Gentry replaced Robert Otto, who was elected attorney general in 1924 but was appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court to replace Judge A.M. Woodson, who had died.
Missouri’s official state website notes the attorney general’s office was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory.
The official state website also notes Missouri’s attorney general serves on several boards, including the Board of Fund Commissioners, the Board of Public Buildings and the Missouri Housing Development Commission.
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