Republican Kehoe to keep GOP in charge of Missouri executive branch

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe declared victory in his campaign for governor Tuesday night.

Kehoe defeated Democrat Crystal Quade in the race for governor, who conceded Tuesday night. Early results from the Secretary of State's Office showed Kehoe leading Quade with 57% of the vote as of 11 p.m.

Kehoe spoke to an excited crowd of supporters at Capital Bluffs Event Center in Jefferson City after the Associated Press called the race for him not long after polls closed.

"So many of you have been with us for a long time back when we kicked off this campaign more than a year and a half ago," Kehoe said. "And so much time in between, I've asked for your support and your help. You have been so gracious to Claudia and I and our family."

After thanking his family, campaign staff and supporters, Kehoe told voters it's now time to get to work. He said he plans to cut taxes, strengthen public schools, protect the unborn and make Missouri a safer place to live.

"We're going to roll up our sleeves and get to work on day one," Kehoe said. "As soon as my hand comes off the Bible, the Kehoe administration will be relentless in our effort to make Missouri safer. We will ensure that Missouri is a state where it's easier to be a cop than a criminal."

Gov. Mike Parson was in attendance Tuesday to support Kehoe, who he endorsed in the race.

Parson said he endorsed Kehoe because he believes he knows what it means to be a public servant, and said his hard work ethic and experience will make him fit for office.

"When you're the governor of the State of Missouri, you're the CEO and you better have some business knowledge," Parson said. "You're talking about a $53 billion budget, there's a lot of moving parts to that and everyday you have to make decisions and you've got to be prepared to do that, and I do think he's been around long enough, he's going to have that wisdom," Parson said.

Kehoe also had the endorsement of many law enforcement, agriculture, construction and healthcare groups.

The president of Missouri Associated General Contractors, Len Toenjes, said this is the first time in the organization's nearly 100-year history that it has endorsed a statewide candidate.

"He's always worked with us to understand where we're coming from and not just tried to solve it himself," Toenjes said. "If there are other resources that need to be brought to the table, if we need to go to talk to someone on the other side of the aisle, if we need to go to talk to someone in some agency or some department, he will steer us to those folks to help build a broader understanding before we just jump into something."

He said Kehoe was also a big part of making the Improve I-70 project happen in Columbia and his appointment would help make sure the project stays on track.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Cattlemen's Association CEO Mike Deering said his organization likes that Kehoe has ideas to allow Missouri farmers and ranchers to keep more value in the state rather than exporting it elsewhere.

"He's a family farmer, he's a cattle producer," Deering said. "He's the one candidate who truly understands Missouri agriculture, understands the contribution and commitment to Missouri farm and ranch families that we make.

Kehoe campaign spokesperson Gabby Picard said in an email to ABC 17 News earlier in the day that they were hopeful for a win on Tuesday.

"Mike Kehoe holds the endorsement of over 30 statewide member-led organizations representing everyday Missourians, including firefighters, police, farmers, truckers, those who work in healthcare and the construction industry, and small business leaders," Picard said. "With their support, we are hopeful for a good result tonight."

Kehoe enjoyed a major lead in polls going into Election Day.

The website 538 shows a recent poll by Research Co. -- conducted on Nov. 2 and 3 -- indicated Kehoe wasfavored with 52% to Quade's 38%. A post by Research Co.'s website from Monday indicated support could go 56-41 in favor of Kehoe. Several polls aggregated by 538 indicate Kehoe has had a consistent lead margin over Quade.

Kehoe posted to Facebook that he cast his ballot with his family in Jefferson City on Tuesday. He encouraged Missourians to vote and said he hopes he can earn votes at the polls this election day.

In an effort to get out the vote, Picard said Kehoe's campaign participated in statewide press conferences on Monday and worked with the campaign's endorsed organizations to remind Missourians to get out and vote.

Kehoe won the Republican bid for governor after edging out State Sen. Bill Eigel and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in the August primary. Election results showed Kehoe won 39% of the vote, with Eigel trailing at 33% and Ashcroft at 23%.

On key issues, Kehoe is anti-abortion and opposes Amendment 3. He promises no new taxes will be imposed if he is elected and previously told ABC 17 News he wants to get rid of personal income tax. He also plans to crack down on illegal immigration.

Kehoe was appointed lieutenant governor in 2018 by Parson and was elected to the position by Missouri voters in 2020. He has also previously served as a state senator.

Along with politics, Kehoe also has a background as a small-business background and farmer.