- Mike Kehoe (R) was elected governor in 2024 — Missouri is rated Safe Republican (Trump won Missouri by 18 points in 2024).
- Missouri's governor race is not the most prominent 2026 contest — the state's political attention will focus more on the Josh Hawley Senate re-election.
- Missouri has moved significantly toward Republicans since 2012 — St. Louis and Kansas City provide Democratic base votes but cannot offset the state's rural and exurban Republican dominance.
- Missouri's agricultural economy, evangelical Christian community, and defense industry create a Republican coalition that is among the most stable in the Midwest.
No Missouri governor election in 2026. Mike Kehoe (R) was elected governor in November 2024, succeeding term-limited Governor Mike Parson. His four-year term runs through January 2029. The next Missouri governor election is November 2028. See all 2026 governor races →
Missouri Governor — Current Status
Why Missouri Has No 2026 Governor Race
Missouri holds its gubernatorial elections in the same years as presidential elections — every four years in even-numbered years divisible by four (2020, 2024, 2028, etc.). This means Missouri was on the ballot in November 2024 for the governor's race, not 2026. There is no Missouri governor race until November 2028.
In November 2024, Republican Mike Kehoe defeated Democrat Crystal Quade by approximately 17 to 18 points in the governor's race. The result was consistent with Missouri's deep-red presidential baseline — Trump won Missouri by 18 points in the same election cycle. Kehoe, who had served as Missouri's Lieutenant Governor since 2017, became the state's governor in January 2025, succeeding term-limited Republican Governor Mike Parson who had served since 2018.
Missouri's political landscape has shifted significantly to the right over the past two decades. The state was a classic bellwether in the 20th century, voting for the presidential winner in 10 consecutive elections from 1960 through 2000. But Missouri voted for John McCain in 2008 (by 0.1 points, the last true competitive presidential race), then moved decisively into the Republican column. Trump won Missouri by 15 points in 2020 and 18 points in 2024, cementing its status as a reliably Republican state for statewide offices.
Mike Kehoe — Missouri's New Governor
Mike Kehoe is a businessman and career Republican politician from Jefferson City, Missouri. He served in the Missouri State Senate from 2011 to 2017 before being appointed Lieutenant Governor by Governor Eric Greitens and subsequently re-elected to the position in 2020. As Lt. Governor, Kehoe chaired the Missouri Tourism Commission and focused on economic development, rural broadband, and workforce training. His business background in the automobile dealership industry gives him a private-sector perspective that he has emphasized in his economic agenda.
Kehoe's 2024 gubernatorial campaign focused on economic growth, border security, and government efficiency. He positioned himself as a pragmatic conservative aligned with Trump's political priorities while also emphasizing Missouri-specific concerns like agricultural policy, rural healthcare access, and the state's manufacturing base. His comfortable 17-18 point victory over Democrat Crystal Quade — the Missouri House Minority Leader — confirmed that Missouri's Republican lean extends strongly to the governor's office.
As governor, Kehoe faces the same challenges that confronted his predecessor: Missouri's persistent rural healthcare crisis (the state has one of the country's worst rates of rural hospital closures), educational funding debates, Medicaid administration following the 2020 voter initiative expanding it, and economic development to diversify beyond the state's traditional manufacturing and agricultural economy. Kansas City and St. Louis are the state's major Democratic urban centers and provide the most visible Democratic political activity, but neither city's population is large enough to overcome the Republican advantage in rural Missouri.
Preview: Missouri Governor Race 2028
Missouri's next governor race in November 2028 will coincide with the presidential election. Mike Kehoe will be eligible to seek a second term. If he runs, he would be favored given Missouri's Republican lean and the incumbency advantage. If he does not run or faces a primary challenge, Missouri's 2028 governor's race will be an open-seat contest in a state that has been solidly Republican statewide for over a decade.
Missouri Democrats' best opportunities for statewide success have historically come in ballot initiative campaigns rather than candidate races. The 2020 Medicaid expansion ballot measure passed in a state Trump won by 15 points in the same election — demonstrating that Missouri voters can separate policy preferences from partisan candidate choices. Democrats have been more competitive in the St. Louis and Kansas City media markets but lack the statewide infrastructure to consistently compete for executive offices.
The 2026 cycle, while offering no Missouri governor's race, will feature Missouri's U.S. Senate seat. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R) is not up in 2026, and Missouri does not have any Senate seat on the 2026 ballot either. See all 2026 governor races for other states →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Missouri governor race in 2026?
No. Mike Kehoe (R) was elected governor in November 2024, succeeding term-limited Governor Mike Parson. Kehoe's four-year term runs through January 2029. The next Missouri governor election is November 2028, not 2026.
Who is the governor of Missouri in 2026?
Mike Kehoe (R) is governor of Missouri in 2026. He was elected in November 2024, defeating Democrat Crystal Quade by approximately 17-18 points in a state Trump also won by 18 points. Kehoe previously served as Missouri's Lieutenant Governor from 2017 to 2024. He took office in January 2025.
When is Missouri's next governor election?
Missouri's next governor election is November 2028, coinciding with the next presidential election. Kehoe will be eligible to seek a second term. Missouri's deep-red presidential baseline makes it heavily Republican in statewide races, though Democrats have shown the ability to win policy ballot initiatives even in the state's current partisan environment.
