Democrats rescind case for Kehoe’s removal, request answer to legal debate

The Missouri Democratic Party is no longer asking a judge to remove Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican, from office, but still is seeking a declaration that the appointment was unlawful.

Republican Governor Mike Parson appointed Kehoe to the office last month, reopening a decades-old legal debate.

The party followed the appointment with a lawsuit against the governor’s office, claiming Parson did not have the legal authority to fill the vacant office. At first, the suit requested that Kehoe be removed from office and for the law to be clarified.

Matt Vianello, the counsel for the Democratic Party, said they are no longer asking for Kehoe to be removed from office. Instead, Vianello said his clients want Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem to “declare what the law is.”

“Ultimately I think that’s a question for the attorney general’s office,” Vianello told reporters after Thursday’s hearing. “If the court declares that the appointment was invalid, will the attorney general follow the court and remove a person from office who shouldn’t be there?”

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for a comment Thursday.