Incoming governor Mike Parson brings less drama to Jefferson City

By Noah Higgins-Dunn, Columbia Missourian

Missouri’s next governor, Mike Parson, has few similarities to Gov. Eric Greitens, but he might serve as a greater ally for Republicans in Jefferson City.

Come June 1 at 5 pm, Parson will become Missouri’s 57th governor after Greitens announced he would resign May 29 evening amid criminal charges and scathing reports by the Missouri House’s investigative committee. Peverill Squire, political science professor at MU, said that while Parson isn’t particularly dynamic, Squire suspects that Republican officeholders will be happy to govern with less drama.

“Next year’s General Assembly will likely have to contend with far fewer distractions,” Squire wrote in an email.

Parson said Greitens’ decision to resign was in the best interest of the state and Missourians, according to a press release from his office. Parson said the decision will allow the state to move forward and heal in a difficult time.

“This is an enormous responsibility serving as our state’s next governor,” Parson said, “and I am ready to fulfill the duties of the office with honor and integrity, and with a steadfast commitment to making our great state even greater for the people we are entrusted to serve.”

While Greitens slashed funding for higher education, Parson has expressed support for the state’s colleges and universities.

“We cannot sit around and cut education and not allow them to have the tools they need to meet the skilled workforce demand,” Parson previously told the Missourian.

In a joint statement, UM System President Mun Choi and MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said that Parson has been a strong champion for higher education and has demonstrated his dedication to providing affordable high-quality learning.

“We’re looking forward to working with him as we educate the future leaders of Missouri and support our researchers who impact the lives of Missourians every day,” Choi and Cartwright said.

Greitens’ resignation could also have implications for US Senator Claire McCaskill’s Senate seat.

Squire said that although Attorney General Josh Hawley, who is running against McCaskill in November, is probably relieved by Greitens’ resignation, it is not clear whether he can escape criticism for his office’s handling of its investigations into the governor.

Parson, 62, was elected in 2016 alongside Greitens. Parson won 110 out of the state’s 114 counties, according to the biography on his website. Parson was elected in 2004 as a state representative. Afterward, Parson served as a state senator from 2011-2017 until he became lieutenant governor.

A small business owner and third-generation farmer, Parson was raised on a farm in Hickory County, southwest of Boone County. He served as sheriff from 1993 to 2005 of Polk County, where he lives with his wife, Teresa, near Bolivar. The family owns and operates a cow and calf operation.

After graduating from Wheatland High School, Parson completed night courses at the University of Maryland and at the University of Hawaii while he was in the Army. Parson served in the Army for six years.

“He’s not the type of guy who would be elected governor, but he’d make a good governor,” Chris Kelly, a former state representative from Columbia, has said. “He’s not flashy or spectacular, but he’s smart and knows how to make good decisions.”

In the General Assembly, Parson chaired the small business, insurance and industry committee and served as the majority whip for two years during his tenure as a senator. While serving in the House, he was chair of the House rules committee.

Between 2012 and 2017, Parson ranked fourth in the number of bills passed in the Senate.