Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's priorities crumble as voters reject GOP agenda at polls
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has seen his top political priorities crumble this year in the first major tests of his leadership since he took office early last year . Kehoe won his primary with a message of pragmatic policymaking , in contrast to his more conservative opponents, then-Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and former state Sen. Bill Eigel. “I don’t scream and holler about politics,” Kehoe said at a campaign event in July 2024. “I’m running against people who are of the ‘burn it down’ variety. I’m just not a burn it down guy.” Throughout his first term as governor, however, Kehoe’s administration has been embroiled in a series of hyperpartisan clashes over issues ranging from a gerrymandered congressional map to a plan to overhaul the state’s main tool for direct democracy. After Tuesday’s elections, Republicans have officially lost nearly all of those battles. Now, the lopsided results for a governor that once promised pragmatism have thrust Missouri Republicans into uncharted territory, sparking speculation about which direction Kehoe will take his administration in the final two years of his term. Kehoe reflects on losses It’s been a year of ballot box fights in Missouri. Last summer, Kehoe attempted to gerrymander
