AP Race Call: Republican Mike Kehoe wins election for governor in Missouri

Republican Mike Kehoe defeated Democrat Crystal Quade to win the Missouri governor’s race on Tuesday. Kehoe is Missouri’s lieutenant governor. Quade is the state House minority leader. Kehoe will succeed GOP Gov. Mike Parson, who was barred by term limits from seeking reelection. Kehoe was favored to win the heavily Republican state, but Quade and other Democrats had hoped to get an edge this year with an abortion rights amendment on the ballot. Kehoe opposes the amendment. Parson handpicked Kehoe to be second in command in 2018, when Parson left his seat as lieutenant governor to become governor. The Associated Press declared Kehoe the winner at 9:45 p.m. EST.