HARRISONVILLE, Mo. – Former Cass County prosecutor Teresa Hensley officially accepted the endorsement of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police in Harrisonville Tuesday morning.
Hensley worked for a decade as a prosecutor and touts on her campaign website that she has a perfect record at securing murder convictions and prosecuting hundreds of child abuse and sexual assault cases.
“Missouri’s Attorney General is the people’s attorney and I have dedicated my career to seeing that every Missourian is fairly represented under the law,” Hensley said in a statement. “As Cass County’s top prosecutor, I worked with local law enforcement to lock up dangerous criminals, including murderers, rapists, and domestic abusers… Most of all, I worked with police to see that the law was carried out fairly and equally.”
She also has the broad support of the state’s union entities, receiving $350,000 from the Carpenter’s Union political fund and thousands more from other union groups.
The Fraternal Order of Police itself is the state’s most prominent law enforcement union, and they have also endorsed the Democratic nominee for governor, Attorney General Chris Koster.
“Teresa Hensley has a reputation for bringing people together,” said Rick Inglima, the president of the FOP. “She worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement to best benefit the victims and to make our communities safer. The work she has done with our officers is not something that can be learned from a textbook.”
Hensley edged out St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman in the Democratic primary for her party’s nomination. Currently, polls show the race between Hensley and Republican Josh Hawley as a tight one with Hawley leading slightly.
UPDATE – 2:04 p.m.: Added comments from Hensley and Inglima.
