JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Senator Mike Parson won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor after an unheralded but heated contest.
While other Republican primaries garnered the attention, the race for lieutenant governor didn’t lag behind the others in attacks or money spent.
“I am very humbled to have won the Republican nomination, and I want to thank all of my supporters. I also want to thank my many endorsers, including Missouri Right to Life, the NRA, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, the Missouri Soybean Association, the Missouri Dairy Association, and the Missouri Pork Association,” Parson said in a statement. “In addition, I want to give special thanks to my wife, Teresa, and my family for standing beside me throughout this campaign. It is a true honor to be elected as the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor, and I look forward to an issue-oriented campaign with Russ Carnahan.”
Randles outraised Parson $2.5 million to $1.4 million and used advertisements to attack Parson’s Senate record. But Parson responded, especially after attacks on police officers in Ballwin, Baton Rouge and Dallas, by touting his experience in law enforcement, first as a military policeman and later as a sheriff.
That, along with his deep ties to agriculture in the state, seems to have propelled him to victory.
