Cierpiot elected by peers to Missouri House majority leader

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri House Republicans have elected Rep. Mike Cierpiot of Lee’s Summit as their new majority leader.

Cierpiot told The Associated Press that he was elected Thursday during a closed-door meeting of the House GOP.

The majority leader position became vacant after former House Speaker John Diehl resigned in May, causing a chain reaction of shifts in leadership.

The majority leader determines if, when and how long House members debate bills. It’s considered a stepping stone to speaker, the House’s top position.

Cierpiot previously served as assistant majority leader. St. Peters Representative Robert Cornejo also ran for the majority leader position.

Cierpiot says he plans to push the House GOP priorities and beef up campaign fundraising for the group.