Missouri Gov. Mike Parson wins reelection against Nicole Galloway
- Republican Gov. Mike Parson won reelection against the Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway, according to Insider and Decision Desk HQ.
- Polls in Missouri closed at 8 p.m. ET.
- See the live coverage and full results from the most competitive US elections.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson won reelection against Nicole Galloway, the Democratic state auditor, according to Insider and Decision Desk HQ.
Polls in Missouri closed at 8 p.m. ET.
Races are called when the results indicate that the trailing candidate does not have a viable path to victory.
The candidates
Parson, 64, has a long history in politics, formerly serving as lieutenant governor and in the state's Legislature. He is also a third-generation farmer and an Army veteran.
Parson hinged his reelection bid on reviving the economy after the coronavirus pandemic doubled the state's unemployment rate.
Galloway, 38, has served as the state auditor since 2015, and her campaign website said she "uncovered more than $350 million in wasteful spending" by the state.
She built her campaign around ensuring that money is put toward issues like making healthcare more affordable, blaming Parson for recent rural hospital closures and for 100,000 children losing their insurance. The state voted to expand Medicaid in a ballot measure in its primary on August 4.
Galloway previously served as the treasurer of Boone County. She holds a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics and economics, as well as an MBA.
The stakes
Galloway is the only Democrat who currently holds a statewide office. She would have become the first female governor of Missouri.
Missouri's governorship has been hard to predict over the past couple of decades, with both Democrats and Republicans elected to the highest office in the state. The Legislature is Republican-controlled.
Moreover, nationally, the state has not voted for a Democrat for president since Bill Clinton in 1996. President Donald Trump won Missouri in 2016 with 56.4% of the vote.
The money race: Parson's reelection effort raised $6.7 million, more than double the $3.1 million raked in by Galloway's campaign, according to the latest campaign quarterly filings from July.
What the polls said: Parson held a consistent lead over Galloway in multiple polls tracked by RealClearPolitics.
What the experts said: The race was rated "leans Republican" by The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.