Parson picks Eric Schmitt as new attorney general
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Eric Schmitt, Missouri’s current state treasurer, as the state’s newest attorney general Tuesday morning.
Schmitt will replace current Attorney General Josh Hawley when Hawley becomes a U.S. senator in January. Hawley, a Republican, defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in the Nov. 6 election.
“Missouri will witness a smooth, stable and seamless transfer of leadership in the Attorney General Office,” Parson said during Tuesday’s press conference.
Hawley in a statement praised Schmitt’s appointment.
“The Attorney General’s job is to fight for Missouri families regardless of how big or powerful the opponent may be, and I know Eric Schmitt will continue this important work,” Hawley said in a news release issued by Parson’s office. He called Schmitt a “constitutional conservative.”
Schmitt attended DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, got his undergraduate degree at Truman State and his law degree at Saint Louis University.
The appointment leaves a vacancy in the state’s treasurer’s office. However, Parson said his office is looking for the best candidates for that position.
Schmitt will take over as the state’s attorney general when Hawley assumes his Senate seat Jan. 3.
Parson’s first pick to fill a vacant seat in the executive branch, his appointment of former state Sen. Mike Kehoe to lieutenant governor, is being challenged in court.
