(The Center Square) – Three Missouri statewide officeholders are cleaning out their offices, as two appointees will be entering the capitol and one elected official is switching offices.
Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway, who unsuccessfully ran against Republican Gov. Mike Parson in 2020, announced more than a year ago she would not run for another term. Her departure marks the last statewide office to be held by a Democrat. All statewide offices, the House of Representatives and the Senate will be held or controlled by Republicans in 2023.
Galloway, 40, was serving as Boone County Treasurer when she was appointed to the state office by Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon in 2015 after the death of Auditor Tom Schweich. Galloway was elected to a four-year term in 2018.
“Serving as your independent taxpayer watchdog for the past nearly eight years has been among the greatest honors of my life,” Galloway wrote in a letter in an end-of-term report. “I have endeavored to earn your trust and have your back. Taxpayers deserve someone in government who is looking out for them, not politicians and special interests. Being your advocate in government has been my mission and I am proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.”
Republican Scott Fitzpatrick will become auditor in January after receiving 59% of the vote in November against Democrat Alan Green. Fitzpatrick was elected to a four-year term as treasurer in November 2020 after being appointed to the office in 2019 by Parson to replace Republican Eric Schmitt. Parson appointed Schmitt to the office of attorney general to replace Republican Josh Hawley, who defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in November 2018.
Fitzpatrick, 35, was elected to the House in 2012 at the age of 25. As treasurer, he expanded the Show-Me Checkbook, a database of local government financial reporting. He also promoted the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program. It was signed into law by Parson in 2021 and created state tax credits for contributions to approved nonprofit educational assistance organizations. Parson appointed Vivek Malek as treasurer earlier this month, marking the first time a person of color will hold statewide office.
Schmitt received 55% of the vote in November to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. Schmitt released a recap of his term in office, including a lawsuit filed with other attorneys general against President Joe Biden’s administration for allegedly colluding with social media companies to censor free speech. He also filed suit against the Biden administration for vaccine mandates and the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a vaccine mandate on private companies.
Schmitt, 47, didn’t mention lawsuits against Missouri’s public schools regarding mask mandates in 2021, which increased his name recognition throughout the state in the Republican Senate primary against former Gov. Eric Greitens. He also didn’t mention executing the statute making elective abortion illegal in the state only hours after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs case in June.
“I am extremely proud of the results our Office has obtained through our tireless work the last four years,” Schmitt said in a statement. “We’ve fought hard to protect and defend the constitutions of the United States of America and of Missouri.”
Parson appointed Andrew Bailey as attorney general in November. Bailey previously served as Parson’s chief legal counsel.
