Chappell Wins Floor Leader Race After Election Night Scramble

State Rep. Darin Chappell is preparing to lead a smaller Republican majority in the Missouri House after a whirlwind effort to secure the votes needed to become the chamber’s next majority floor leader.

Rep. Chappell will be part of a new Republican leadership team for the 2027-2028 session, led by Rep. Alex Riley, who is set to become the next Speaker of the House. Rep. Chad Perkins will serve as Speaker Pro Tem, Rep. Jim Schulte as Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Rep. Willard Haley as Majority Caucus Whip, Rep. Bennie Cook as Majority Caucus Chair and Rep. Carolyn Caton as Majority Caucus Secretary.

In an interview with Scott Faughn on This Week in Missouri Politics, Chappell described the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that followed election night, when Rep. Brad Christ, who had been considered a frontrunner for the position, lost his seat.

Chappell said he had initially supported Christ and worked to avoid publicly positioning himself as a replacement while Christ’s race remained undecided. The two discussed the possibility, and Chappell said he began quietly preparing to seek the position without undermining Christ’s candidacy.

Once Christ’s loss became clear around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Chappell and a small group of supporters began making calls. He said he was up again at 5 a.m. Wednesday, continuing to contact members while finishing the removal of campaign signs.

Chappell said securing the support of the House Conservative Caucus, which has approximately 33 members, gave him the foundation to build a winning coalition. With Republicans losing 16 seats in the election, the new majority floor leader needed 48 votes, requiring him to secure support from 15 additional members.

After the Conservative Caucus coalesced behind him, members divided up outreach efforts based on relationships and connections. He also personally met with undecided representatives to explain his approach to leadership.

Chappell ultimately won the floor leader election 49-44 on the second ballot, following a tie with Rep. Jeff Myers on the first ballot.

The election results will leave Chappell leading a considerably smaller Republican caucus, a shift he said the party is still working to understand.

Chappell said the reasons for Republican losses varied across the state, noting that his own district offered a different picture than the St. Louis region. In his race, his Democratic opponent gained only about 800 additional votes, while roughly 5,000 Republicans who had voted previously stayed home.

Faughn pressed Chappell on whether Republicans’ close alignment with President Donald Trump contributed to the losses, pointing to voter frustration over Iran, fuel and grocery prices, tariffs and the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

Chappell acknowledged that national political dissatisfaction played a role, describing the election as a “perfect storm” of negative circumstances for Republicans. He also said the party has a responsibility to recognize where its own actions have contributed to voter frustration.

“I do think though that we have a responsibility to make sure that we are not part of the problem here at home,” Chappell said. “And we have been. There are things we’ve done that frankly I opposed.”

On Trump, Chappell said he supports most of the president’s policies but disagrees with his tariff approach. He also joked that the president would be better off if someone shut off the White House Wi-Fi around 9 p.m.

Chappell also pointed to property tax reform as an issue he hopes to see addressed in the coming session. A previous proposal offered would have frozen a homeowner’s property tax assessment at the purchase price, resetting the baseline only when the property changes hands. He argued that homeowners should not be taxed on increased property values they have yet to realize, particularly when assessments rarely offer comparable relief when values decline.

While Chappell will no longer be able to file legislation himself in his new leadership role, the issue is one he said deserves attention from the General Assembly.

Jake Kroesen

Jake Kroesen serves as the Editor of the Missouri Times. He hails from Independence, Missouri and enjoys all things Jackson County. A graduate of UCM, he obtained his degree in Political Science.