Kehoe wins by wide margin

Jefferson City politician secures full term as lieutenant governor

Missouri voters elected Republican incumbents to several statewide offices and congressional seats in Tuesday’s general election.

Lieutenant governor

Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe won election to a full term as lieutenant governor.

The Associated Press called the race just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

According to complete, but unofficial returns, Kehoe won 58.4 percent (1,724,050) of the vote statewide.

Kehoe did not immediately answer a call for comment Tuesday night. But today, he posted on Twitter: “I am humbled and honored you have chosen me to continue serving as your Lieutenant Governor. I will work every day to maintain your trust and confidence moving Missouri forward.”

Kehoe became lieutenant governor in 2018 after Gov. Mike Parson appointed him — after Parson’s ascension to the governorship following former Gov. Eric Greitens’ resignation left the lieutenant governorship vacant.

Kehoe was previously a state senator for eight years, representing Jefferson City in the 6th District.

Kehoe’s principal rival in the lieutenant governor’s race was Democratic candidate Alissia Canady — an attorney and former Kansas City Council member.

According to unofficial, but complete returns, Canady won 38.7 percent (1,141,225) of the vote.

Canady said on Twitter late Tuesday: “I’m impressed with the incredible progress our grassroots movement made and proud to have given it everything we had. Together, we fought for the issues we cared about and ran an honest and direct campaign.

“Tomorrow, we continue our journey: for education, to end city violence and advance investment in human capital. That is my focus as we carry our movement forward for Missourians.”

In Cole County, according to final unofficial results released by local election officials Tuesday, Kehoe won 72.29 percent of the 39,257 votes cast in the race. Canady won 24.87 percent of Cole County votes cast.

In the November 2014 general election, Kehoe won his second state Senate term with more than 75 percent of the total 22,644 votes cast in Cole County. Of the 47,498 votes cast in total for that state Senate election, Kehoe won more than 79 percent of the vote.

Attorney general

Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt won election to a full term Tuesday. According to complete, but unofficial returns, Schmitt won 59.4 percent (1,745,353) of votes tallied, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. Finneran followed with 37.7 percent (1,108,944 votes), and Babcock with 2.7 percent (80,715).

Gov. Mike Parson appointed Schmitt attorney general in 2018 to replace former Attorney General Josh Hawley, who left office two years into his term to join the U.S. Senate. Schmitt had been serving as state treasurer and previously was elected to the state Senate.

Schmitt couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night. In a statement today, he said, “I believe every single person is entitled to dignity, equality of opportunity, and a fair shake under the law, and I will continue to fight every day for the six million Missourians I represent in the attorney general’s office.”

Democrat Rich Finneran, a 36-yearold former assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, ran against Schmitt.

“I’m very proud of the race we ran, and we delivered a strong message that we need to restore accountability and integrity to this office,” Finneran said. “We as Democrats made some strong strides compared to where we were in 2016. I think we had strong candidates, and I’m confident that while we didn’t win this year, this is the start of regaining Democratic leadership in this state.”

Libertarian Kevin Babcock, a self-employed attorney who served as a public defender in Ava from 2009-14, came in third in the race.

Secretary of state

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State John “Jay” Ashcroft won re-election to a second term.

According to complete, but unofficial returns, Ashcroft won more than 60.5 percent (1,790,873) of the votes cast, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office.

In a statement today, Ashcroft said: “I have been honored and humbled to serve as Missouri’s Secretary of State over the last four years. Working with the 116 local election authorities, we have increased the accessibility, security and safety of voting in our great state.”

Ashcroft was elected in November 2016, winning more than 57.6 percent of the more than 2.76 million votes cast in that race at the time.

His principal rival in the race this year was Democratic candidate Yinka Faleti, who won 36.2 percent (1,072,415) of the vote.

Faleti said on Twitter late Tuesday: “While the results of this election did not go the way we wanted, I am grateful for the support of so many who brought us this far. With your help and support, we have brought attention to the fight to have every vote counted.”

He added, “Civic engagement does not end after an election. Voting is only the beginning. Those who we elect are supposed to serve the people; and, in turn, the people are meant to hold their elected officials accountable. I ask you to do that.”

Faleti’s experience includes being a U.S. Army veteran, lawyer, state prosecutor and nonprofit leader.

In Cole County, according to final unofficial results released by local election officials Tuesday, Ashcroft won 70.53 percent of the 39,063 votes cast in the race.

Faleti won 26.47 percent of Cole County votes.

In November 2016 in Cole County, Ashcroft won 65.87 percent of the 37,092 votes cast in the secretary of state race at the time.

State treasurer

Republican incumbent Scott Fitzpatrick won election Tuesday as Missouri state treasurer.

According to unofficial, but complete returns, Fitzpatrick won 59.1 percent (1,735,565) of votes, Democrat Vicki Lorenz Englund 37.9 percent (1,113,785 votes), Libertarian Nick Kasoff 2.1 percent (64,267 votes), and Green Party candidate Joseph Civettini 0.64 percent (18.936 votes).

In Cole County, Fitzpatrick received 70.36 percent of votes (27,293), Englund 27.15 percent (10,530), Kasoff 1.97 percent (763) and Civettini 0.46 percent (177).

Fitzpatrick, of Cassville, was first appointed state treasurer in 2018, following Eric Schmitt’s appointment as attorney general, after serving on the Missouri House of Representatives. Key issues he has focused on are improving government transparency, reducing reliance on student debt and creating opportunities for quality education.

Fitzpatrick said he wants to improve government transparency by continuing to expand the Show-Me Checkbook, a financial data transparency portal he launched this year that shows local government expenditures.

Fitzpatrick said he would also like to open a 529 Plan, an education savings account, for every child in Missouri, and pass legislation to allow low-income students and students with special needs in failing or provisionally accredited school districts to go to other school districts through education savings accounts funded by contributions from individuals and corporations.

Fitzpatrick could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

U.S. Congress District 3

Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer won re-election Tuesday to represent Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District.

According to complete, but unofficial returns, Luetkemeyer received 69.3 percent (282,424) of votes tallied, followed by Democrat Megan Rezabek with 28.4 percent (115,909) and Libertarian Leonard Steinman with 2 percent (8,328), according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office.

In Cole County, Luetkemeyer received 70.78 percent of votes (27,659), followed by Rezabek with 26.56 percent (10,378) and Steinman with 2.56 percent (1,000), according to unofficial results from the Cole County Clerk’s Office.

“It’s very rewarding to know that the people that you served the last two years are very appreciative of your efforts and trust you to be able to continue doing what you’re doing for another two years,” Luetkemeyer said.

Luetkemeyer, of St. Elizabeth, was first elected to the position in 2008 after serving on the Missouri House of Representatives and as director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. This will be his seventh term to represent Missouri’s 3rd District.

He has a background in agriculture and business, and has been in the banking and insurance industry for more than 30 years. He has also served as a bank regulator for the state of Missouri.

Luetkemeyer serves on the House Financial Services Committee and as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions. He is also a member of the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

Leutkemeyer said he’s excited to continue the work he’s doing on those two committees and to continue investing in water resource infrastructure and focusing on financial service issues such as banking, credit unions, insurance and housing.

U.S. Congress District 4

Incumbent Republican Vicky Hartzler defeated Democratic challenger Lindsey Simmons to win re-election to Missouri’s 4th Congressional District seat Tuesday.

According to complete, but unofficial results, Hartzler received 67.5 percent of votes (245,064 votes), followed by Simmons with 29.6 percent (107,528 votes) and Libertarian Steven Koonse with 2.7 percent (9,934 votes).

Hartzler retains the seat she was first elected to in 2010, after beginning her time in public service as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives in 1994.

Hartzler has said her focus will be on a number of issues, including getting tougher on China, making more faith-based organizations available to veterans suffering from PTSD, and expanding rural broadband.

Other priorities for Hartzler include rebuilding national defense, growing the economy, reforming health care to make it more accessible and affordable, and protecting life and the foundational rights such as those included in the First and Second Amendments.

News Tribune reporters Phillip Sitter, Jeff Haldiman, Joe Gamm and Layne Stracner and The Associated Press contributed to this article.