By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri’s Lt. Governor gave his pitch for a promotion during a stop in Savannah Friday afternoon.
Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe is in the crowded field for the Republican nomination for governor, taking a veiled shot at some of his fellow Republican opponents, saying they come to Jefferson City not ready to work with others.
“And they’d rather stand on this table and scream at you on how conservative they are and what they’re values are than actually work with you on something,” Kehoe tells a crowd gathered at United Electric Cooperative. “And I tell people all the time, I’m conservative to my core. That’s the way my mother raised me, a conservative Christian to my core, but I don’t feel like I have to stand on a table and scream. I’d rather talk to you. I’d rather develop a relationship with you.”
Kehoe ran a Ford dealership in Jefferson City before running for the Missouri Senate. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Kehoe Lt. Governor in 2018 after Parson became governor upon the resignation of Eric Greitens. Kehoe won election to the office in 2020. Kehoe also raises cattle on a farm in Phelps and Pulaski Counties.
There are nine candidates listed on the Republican primary ballot for governor. High-profile Republicans in the race include Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel of St. Charles County.
Kehoe lists four primary goals he would have as governor: crack down on crime, increase workforce development beyond high school, agriculture, and economic development.
As part of his economic platform, Kehoe proposes eliminating the state income tax.
“And it fits a core fundamental piece of who a conservative is. I believe you can spend your money way better than any elected official can any day of the year. So, this puts money back in your pocket and it gets us a really good leg up on economic development conversation,” Kehoe says. “We intend to work with the legislature to get that passed in a responsible manner so we can continue to fill our other commitments that we have across the state.”
The Savannah stop was part of Kehoe’s statewide campaign tour.
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