JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Corrections Officers Association endorsed Eric Greitens on Tuesday in the race for governor.
Gary Gross, the association’s executive director, hit on a familiar theme, saying Greitens’ status as an “outsider” helped seal the deal.
“Missouri needs to go in a new direction with new leadership,” he said. “Eric is an outsider who will stand up for all Missourians.”
Greitens campaign has shrugged off endorsements of his opponent, Attorney General Chris Koster, as ineffective, but he welcomed the endorsement of a group that represents thousands of corrections officers across the state.
“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of these officers who have been working for years without the recognition or resources they need to do their job,” he said. “They know that I can be trusted to always have their back.”
In the spring, Greitens toured the Jefferson City Correctional Center, earning some plaudits from the staff there. While they’d seen tours by elected officials in the past, they couldn’t recall a candidate who had visited.
Greitens’ campaign manager used the endorsement to attack Koster as a failed leader.
“Missouri’s corrections officers know Chris Koster’s failed record,” Austin Chambers said. “During his two decades as a Missouri politician, he has broken his promises and failed to help people at every turn. Our state employees deserve better. Everyone in Missouri deserves better than Chris Koster’s failure and corruption.”
