Missouri 2016 Election Results

Missouri held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 180 legislative seats and 5 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans now hold the governor's office, nearly all other statewide executive offices, and supermajorities in both legislative chambers. State Auditor Nicole Galloway, who was not on the ballot, was left as the lone Democrat in statewide office.
• Eric Greitens (R), a political newcomer and former Navy SEAL officer, beat Chris Koster (D) by about 6 points. Koster, a two-term attorney general, had won endorsements from the Farm Bureau and NRA, groups that usually back Republicans.
• The change matters most for bills that had died on Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's desk. Republican leaders had been unable to pass a right-to-work law over Nixon's veto, and right-to-work could be first up in 2017. More limits on abortion and liability lawsuits also appeared likely, and new ethics laws could follow.
• Republicans won all four other statewide offices on the ballot, three of them taken from Democrats: Josh Hawley (R) beat Teresa Hensley (D) for attorney general by about 17 points, Jay Ashcroft (R) beat Robin Smith (D) for secretary of state by about 19 points, and Eric Schmitt (R) beat Judy Baker (D) for treasurer by about 17 points. Mike Parson (R) kept the lieutenant governor's office Republican, beating Russ Carnahan (D).
• The legislature barely moved. Only 2 legislative seats changed party, one each way, and both were open: Mark Ellebracht (D) won House District 17 and Mark Matthiesen (R) won House District 70. The lone incumbent to lose in November was independent Rep. Keith English (I), beaten by Jay Mosley (D) in House District 68. The tightest Senate race was the open Senate District 19, which Caleb Rowden (R) held by about 2,200 votes over Stephen Webber (D).
• Voters passed 4 of 6 measures:
  • Amendment 6 allows lawmakers to require photo identification at the polls.
  • Amendment 2 capped contributions at $2,600 per candidate per election.
  • Amendment 1 approved the parks and conservation sales tax with about 80%.
  • Amendment 4 barred extending sales tax to services not already taxed.
  Both cigarette tax increases, Amendment 3 and Proposition A, failed, leaving Missouri's tobacco tax the lowest in the nation.

Legislature

• House (163 seats): 45 D, 117 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 46 D, 117 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (34 seats): 9 D, 25 R before the election, 9 D, 25 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures