Jubilation for Republicans, hand-wringing for Democrats as Parson wins big

Nov. 4--JEFFERSON CITY -- Republican Gov. Mike Parson banked an emphatic victory on Tuesday, securing the widest winning margin of any Missouri gubernatorial candidate in more than a decade and solidifying the GOP's dominant status in state politics.

Parson beat Galloway 57.2%-40.6%, a nearly 17-point margin of victory that slightly outpaced President Donald Trump's winning margin in Missouri. The incumbent governor won 1,304 more votes than Trump in the state, according to unofficial returns.

While Republicans cited superior ad campaigns and a candidate voters were comfortable with as keys to victory, a spokesman for the campaign of Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway attributed her loss to Trump driving turnout among a base that only he can appeal to.

"Trump drew that Republican base to the polls and this was the last cycle that they will have him on the ballot," said Kevin Donohoe, spokesman for Galloway's campaign.

With Parson a former Polk County sheriff, Republicans homed in on a "law and order" message and linked Galloway to other Democrats who had sought to "defund the police" to order to expand social services.

John Hancock, chairman for the Uniting Missouri PAC, said the pro-Parson group was laser-focused on "contrasting Mike Parson's steady leadership against Nicole Galloway, who, you know -- the Democrats nationally are putting their candidates in a very difficult position" where they are forced to "embrace some of these extremist voices."

When Cori Bush, who was elected to be Missouri's first Black congresswoman on Tuesday, said on Twitter last month that she would work to "defund the Pentagon," Republicans forced other Democratic candidates, including Galloway, on the defense by demanding they denounce the remarks.

While Uniting Missouri covered the airwaves with ads targeting Galloway's ethics, her own criticisms of Parson's administration -- including a "bungled" medical marijuana program rollout, lack of pressure on illegal slots machines, and the state removing 100,000 children from Medicaid rolls -- apparently fell flat.

Hancock said Galloway's campaign focus on responding to the pandemic didn't ultimately resonate. She has criticized the state's response as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record highs in the weeks before the election.

Donohoe said Parson's success couldn't be traced back to one particular strategic move by the governor's campaign apparatus.

"I think it was about the context of the presidential election," he said.

But while Republicans were jubilant about their big night, other Democrats were wondering why voters rejected them.

"The numbers were shocking and right now I don't have an explanation," state Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, said by text message early Wednesday morning. "I'm incredibly disappointed that the lies and misinformation were effective."

He said "plenty of people could point to things that could've been done better," but that he thought Galloway was "an outstanding candidate, while Parson has demonstrated himself to be a completely incompetent governor."

Looking ahead

Parson's decisive win will have an effect on what policies and laws come out of the Capitol in the coming years.

It means his decision to forgo issuing a statewide mask mandate to combat the spread of the coronavirus is unlikely to change heading into the winter months when experts say the spread of the transmission will rise beyond the record-setting levels currently being seen across the state.

The governor's response to the pandemic was a key issue for Galloway and Democrats, but voters signaled they are more interested in keeping the economy open than imposing limits on individuals and businesses.

In his victory speech, Parson again embraced the phrase "freedom," saying that people, not government, are the key to controlling the deadly virus.

The win also means his call for giving businesses like nursing homes protection from lawsuits over COVID-19 deaths has a higher chance to be resurrected, even though skeptics among some GOP lawmakers have kept the issue from being pursued.

Lobby groups are already lining up to push Parson to help them get the issue across the finish line.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a statement Wednesday morning calling on the governor to add COVID-19 lawsuit protections to the special legislative session that begins Thursday.

"We must do everything we can to help our businesses, schools and health care facilities safely open -- and remain open -- so our economy can recover," Chamber President Dan Mehan said. "When these organizations follow public health guidelines, they should not have to face crippling COVID-19 lawsuits."

"We cannot afford to wait until January to address this problem. COVID-19 lawsuits are being filed right now and Missouri employers remain needlessly exposed. This is an enormous concern for businesses, schools and health facilities across the state," Mehan added.

Working with the Republican-controlled House and Senate, Parson's presence in the Governor's Mansion also could have an effect on how Medicaid expansion is rolled out next year.

Parson has said he will implement the voter-approved expansion, but there are adjustments he and the Legislature could make to narrow the scope of what and who is covered under the government-funded health care program.

Parson, who focused on job creation before and during the pandemic, is expected to continue pressing for laws and programs that will boost the economy.

His victory also could have an effect on laws designed to address violent crime in the state's urban areas.

In his campaign, Parson consistently rapped Democrats for suggesting that the police should be "defunded" in order to shift money to social programs that could address some of the root problems of crime in St. Louis.

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