Republican Missouri attorney general candidates say tackling crime is a top priority

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Republican voters will decide between two conservative candidates for attorney general in the upcoming primary election on Aug. 6.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey is running for a full term. He was appointed in January 2023 after his predecessor, Eric Schmitt, was voted to the U.S. Senate. He has also served in Iraq and has previous experience as an assistant prosecutor and with the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Bailey's opponent in the primary is attorney Will Scharf. Scharf is an attorney for former president Donald Trump who has also been a constitutional attorney and violent crime prosecutor. This is Scharf's first time running for office.

Both candidates say tackling Missouri's violent crime is a top priority.

"I think that if we don't get our violent crime problem in this state under control in the next couple of years, it's tough to see how Missouri has a bright future," Scharf said.

Bailey said crime doesn't respect political boundaries.

LINKS: Extended interviews with Republican candidates Will Scharf and Andrew Bailey

"It is a regional, statewide problem," Bailey said. "Crime does not realize that there's 114 counties plus the City of St. Louis. Crime doesn't care that there are 46 judicial circuits. So, having an attorney general with a state-focused approach I think is really beneficial."

Bailey said in his role as the attorney general, he has seen a rise in violent crime, property crime and drug use across the state. He said it will take tough prosecution to stop these crimes.

Statistics from the state of Missouri show crime overall was down in 2023 after a spike in 2022 and is trending lower this year.

"We're the law firm for the people of the State of Missouri," Bailey said. "We fight every day working with law enforcement and prosecutors to lock bad guys up and keep them locked up and to find justice for victims."

Bailey said his approach to slowing crime also involves strengthening and building relations with county-level law enforcement and prosecutors.

Meanwhile, Scharf said the state's violent crime problem stems from a "policy failure" by leaders in Jefferson City.

Scharf said to fight violent crime, the state needs policing, prosecution and the courts, all three of which he claims have been separate points of failure. He said there are not enough law enforcement officers on the street, not enough arrests turning into quality convictions and a court system that doesn't keep criminals from committing more crimes.

"The idea that somebody commits a violent felony is cut out on bail 24 hours later and probably never sees the inside of a prison for even a day, that's not an adequate deterrent to crime and that's something that we need to fix," Scharf said.

To solve this, Scharf said one of his spending priorities while in office will be to build "an effective team of conservative lawyers," referencing what he said is high turnover under Bailey.

"First and foremost, we need to be hiring outstanding conservative lawyers. We need real leaders in that office," Scharf said. "I think all of the other policy priorities follow from there."

However, Bailey's campaign said Scharf's statements about high turnover are not true.

In a statement to ABC 17 News, the campaign said, "Since taking office, General Bailey has lead a recruitment and retention program, coupled with first of its kind practicum with Mizzou Law. These efforts have resulted in an overall decrease in vacancy rate from 24% to 8%, along with reducing turnover by 10%. Any claims of massive turnover are simply false statements designed to mislead voters."

Along with fighting back on crime, Bailey said his other priority if elected will be consumer protection, a department that falls under the attorney general.

"The types of scams that are plaguing Missourians have evolved over the years, but the statutes have not kept up with that evolution in those offenses," Bailey said. "I think it's time that I work with the General Assembly to get a legislative package put forward that updates the statutes to better protect seniors from online scams."

Meanwhile, Scharf's other focus if elected includes holding both federal and state bureaucracies accountable. He believes the attorney general's role is to protect Missourian's rights, which he asserts includes combating overreach at both the federal and state levels.

Specifically, he has promised to start an investigation into Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, known as DESE, saying the department is a bureaucracy that's not been held accountable.

"The policy priorities being dictated by the State Board of Education and by DESE seem focused on wokeism and DEI and social-emotional learning mandates," Scharf said. "I think we need to get education back to what should be its core priority, which is educating Missouri students and preparing them for productive, successful lives."

Both candidates believe in holding the federal government accountable, as Bailey has filed multiple lawsuits against the Biden administration during his time as Missouri's attorney general. He cited the 10th Amendment, saying any rights not given to the federal government are to be enjoyed by the states.

Bailey also called for Columbia Public Schools staff to resign after students attended an event that featured drag performers.

"I believe that government is most responsive at the local level," Bailey said. "So, supporting not only the state but our counties and localities to ensure that their sovereign rights to protect their citizens are respected and honored is critical to the work that we do at the AG's office."