Andrew Bailey retains role as Missouri’s attorney general
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey won his first election Tuesday, defeating Democratic opponent Elad Gross.
Bailey was originally appointed by Gov. Mike Parson to replace Eric Schmitt, who left the role after being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022.
"It's truly humbling to serve the people of the state of Missouri and you know, this is an important job to protect freedom, safety and prosperity. I've been on the job for two years now and looking forward to another four years," Bailey said
The Associated Press called the victory early Wednesday. Bailey had 56% of the vote with 94% reporting. Celebrating his victory at an election watch party in Columbia, Bailey shared his gratitude for his supporters and campaign team.
"It means something to me to have the kind of love and support coming from friends and family like the folks here in this room and across the state of Missouri. So thank you all so much. God bless you all," Bailey said.
Bailey spoke on his priorities moving forward, including strengthening relationships with Missouri's law enforcement community.
"I want to further build out relationships with prosecutors, sheriffs and police chiefs to make sure that the state is effectively deploying the resources we have in the fight against violent crime and relationships with police chiefs," Bailey said.
Looking ahead, Bailey voiced support for Governor-elect Mike Kehoe’s forthcoming crime legislation.
"Right now we're looking at supporting Governor Kehoe's crime legislation as he works to shore up our criminal justice system. I'm excited to be working with a new slate of Republican leaders that are going to deliver transformative change in Jeff City," Bailey said.
Bailey shared his optimism about the national election, noting his recent interactions with members of Donald Trump's campaign.
"I'll tell you that President Trump is over-performing in rural Georgia, and I think that's a good sign. I'll tell you we have recently been in touch with some members of the Trump campaign that are down in Moore with the President, and they were feeling cautiously optimistic," Bailey said.
Bailey also addressed the recent vote on Missouri’s abortion legislation, expressing disappointment over the outcome.
"I personally find Amendment 3 to be abhorrent. I think it's a legal monstrosity. I think it's going to cause enormous problems for the people in the state of Missouri and it's only going to result in the destruction of human life, but it's going to invite a parade of horribles that are going to attempt to fit under this vague and ambiguous language," Bailey said.
Among the supporters at the event was Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Morshak, who praised Bailey’s impact on public safety in Missouri, particularly in St. Louis.
"It goes without saying he has made a significant impact on public safety in the St. Louis region. I mean, he's the person who got Kim Gardner in St. Louis; that was huge. We're now seeing crime from in the region as a result of his execution on that plan being in the police department," Morshak said.
Bailey is known for his high-profile cases and mentioned that new initiatives could be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
"I think you'll see initiatives rolled out over the course of the next few weeks. But again, so much of this depends on the information that is brought forth, either through evidence that is brought to our office or in the public domain, and we analyze the evidence that comes in and act accordingly,"
