© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Parson, Missouri GOP Statewide Officials Embark On 4-Year Terms Amid Pandemic Calamity

Judge Sarah Castle (right) administers the oath of office to governor Mike Parson (left) with First Lady Teresa Parson on Monday during the Missouri Bicentennial Inauguration at the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City.
Daniel Shular
/
Special to St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Sarah Castle (right) administers the oath of office to governor Mike Parson (left) with First Lady Teresa Parson on Monday during the Missouri Bicentennial Inauguration at the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City.

Gov. Mike Parson and four statewide officials took their oaths of offices on Monday — ushering in four more years of near total Republican rule over Missouri.

It also marks what could be the last phase of Parson’s political career, which started as an elected sheriff of a small southwest Missouri county and eventually led to one of the largest electoral mandates ever for a Republican governor.

Around noon, Parson took the oath of office in front of several thousand people gathered on the Missouri Capitol grounds. This will be Parson’s first four-year term after serving roughly half of Eric Greitens’ truncated tenure.

Without mentioning the myriad of challenges both in recent and not-so-recent days, Parson struck an optimistic posture about Missouri being able to persevere in uncertain times.

“As we closed the chapter on 2020, we all had time to reflect. There were sad times, tough times and exciting times. And through it all ... Missourians prevailed,” Parson said. “Despite the challenges, the heartbeat of our state continues to pump strong.”

Parson’s speech was light on specific policy proposals. He did express support for helping teachers, doctors, farmers and law enforcement officers.

“There’s a spark of Missouri hope and courage born in all of us ... and what we do with it is up to us,” Parson said. “The work to be done is not up to me alone. It is shared by all of us.”

Parson was born in Wheatland, a small Hickory County town of fewer than 375 people. He started working at gas stations when he was 15 and eventually bought two of them while working at the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and raising cattle at his farm in Bolivar.

He was elected Polk County sheriff in 1993 and served in that position until his 2005 election to the Missouri House. He served about six years in the Missouri Senate before being elected lieutenant governor in 2016.

After roughly a year as lieutenant governor, Missouri state government plunged into crisis after Greitens became ensnared in allegations of sexual abuse and campaign finance misdeeds. Parson became governor in June 2018 after Greitens’ resignation. He spent his first year in office passing a major economic development package, a transportation bonding plan and a restrictive abortion bill that’s currently being challenged in court.

The COVID-19 pandemic dominated his second year in office and also was the major issue in his campaign for a full four-year term against Democratic state Auditor Nicole Galloway. While the Parson-Galloway race was one of the few gubernatorial contests last year that drew millions of dollars' worth of national money, it wasn’t close: Parson won by the largest margin for a Republican gubernatorial hopeful since John Ashcroft’s landslide 1988 victory.

In the months ahead, Parson will be tasked with continuing to roll out COVID-19 vaccines throughout the state. He’ll also likely deal with legislation to shield businesses from COVID-19-related liability, as well as congressional and state legislative redistricting.

“We have seen some challenging days together ... but when it is hard to find the light, sometimes all you need is a spark to get the fire going again,” Parson said during his speech. “Even in the darkest times — Missouri shines on.”

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit .

Gov. Mike Parson points and waves to attendees at the Missouri Bicentennial Inauguration ceremony on Monday on the South Lawn of the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City. Parson serves as the state's 57th governor.
Daniel Shular / Special to St. Louis Public Radio
/
Special to St. Louis Public Radio
Gov. Mike Parson points and waves to attendees at the Missouri Bicentennial Inauguration ceremony on Monday on the South Lawn of the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City. Parson serves as the state's 57th governor.

Since entering the world of professional journalism in 2006, Jason Rosenbaum dove head first into the world of politics, policy and even rock and roll music. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Rosenbaum spent more than four years in the Missouri State Capitol writing for the Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri Lawyers Media and the St. Louis Beacon. Since moving to St. Louis in 2010, Rosenbaum's work appeared in Missouri Lawyers Media, the St. Louis Business Journal and the Riverfront Times' music section. He also served on staff at the St. Louis Beacon as a politics reporter. Rosenbaum lives in Richmond Heights with with his wife Lauren and their two sons.
KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and award-winning podcasts.
Your donation helps keep nonprofit journalism free and available for everyone.