Free Republic

JEFFERSON CITY As Missouri Gov. Mike Parson gears up to run for his first full term next year, there are rumblings of rebellion on his right flank. Some conservatives in the state, frustrated by what they regard as Parson’s too-moderate agenda, would like to see the incumbent Republican draw a primary challenge. Others are still stinging from the downfall of former Gov. Eric Greitens, who Parson replaced last summer after an avalanche of scandals and criminal charges forced him to resign to avoid criminal prosecution and impeachment. For now, it’s highly unlikely Parson will face a real threat from within...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Mike Parson was sworn in as the 57th Governor of Missouri Friday afternoon, ending the tumultuous term of Eric Greitens, who resigned amid accusations of campaign impropriety and sexual misconduct involving a mistress. The oath was administered at 5:30 p.m. by Judge Mary Rhodes Russell in a private ceremony due to time constraints. Parson said he'll hold a public swearing-in at a later date. Parson, 62, was born and raised in Wheatland, Missouri and is a third-generation farmer. He spent six years in the US Army, serving two tours with the Military Police Corps, before returning...

Eric Greitens stormed into the governor’s office in January 2017 vowing to clean up a state government he said was corrupt. He resigned Tuesday just as abruptly as he had arrived on Missouri's political scene, his career buried under an avalanche of scandal and felony charges. Mike Parson, 63, a fellow Republican and former sheriff who served 11 years in the General Assembly before being elected as lieutenant governor in 2016, will take over as Missouri’s 57th governor. He’ll finish Greitens’ term, which runs until January 2021. A Rhodes scholar and former Navy SEAL, Greitens was once considered one of...