Jay Nixon won reelection as Governor of Missouri by more than 300,000 votes on Tuesday night.
According to unofficial results posted on the Secretary of State’s website, Nixon won 1,485,147 votes to 1,157,475 votes for Dave Spence, the St. Louis County businessman who won the Republican nomination. Nixon won by nearly 15 percentage points, 54.7 percent to 42.6 percent.
Though it was a landslide, Nixon performed even better in 2008, when he beat Kenny Hulshoff by more than 500,000 votes, 58.4 percent to 39.5 percent.
“From a legislative perspective, I am glad he will be there as governor to use his veto power against the more extreme legislation that makes its way out of the House and Senate,” said former House Assistant Minority Floor Leader Tishaura O. Jones, who won her own election Tuesday night for St. Louis Treasurer.
“Since this is his last term, Gov. Nixon has the opportunity to be a little more bold in his leadership,” Jones urged.
Nixon, who is rumored to have national political ambitions, is term-limited as Missouri governor.
Nixon will still face a Republican super-majority in both houses of the Missouri Legislature – and a Republican Lieutenant Governor as president of the Missouri Senate. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder won reelection by more than 100,000 votes, winning 1,316,655 votes to 1,211,352 votes for Democrat Susan Montee. That is 49.4 percent to 45.4 percent.
“In that office, at least we have someone who pays attention to urban areas and gets it that if St. Louis and Kansas City do well, the rest of the state does well,” Tishaura Jones said of Kinder.
The election was good for statewide incumbents generally. In addition to U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, Nixon and Kinder, the Democrat incumbents for Attorney General and state Treasurer also won reelection.
Attorney General Chris Koster beat the perennial Republican candidate Ed Martin by more than 400,000 votes, 1,482,381 votes (55.8 percent) to 1,081,510 votes (40.7 percent).
“We have seen Koster pay attention to urban issues in his first term,” Jones said. “I applaud him for the mortgage settlement and the awesome reports his office gives on racial profiling. We are looking for more leadership, but very happy with that election result.”
Treasurer Clint Zweifel beat his Republican challenger Cole McNary by a less wide but still confident margin, 1,324,489 votes (50.3 percent) to 1,197,451 votes (45.5 percent).
In a very important and closely watched election, the Democrat nominee for the open seat of Secretary of State – Missouri’s highest election official – beat the Republican who was funded almost solely by Rex Sinquefield, the Republican billionaire who is an active proponent of ballot initiatives as well as candidates.
Democrat Jason Kander beat Republican Shane Schoeller by little more than 30,000 votes, 1,289,655 votes (48.8 percent) to 1,256,035 votes (47.5 percent).
“Double praise the Lord on that one!” Tishaura Jones said of Kander’s victory.
“A lot of people don’t realize how important that office is to our state. If you look across the country, there is a concerted effort by the GOP to take over that state office one by one so they can control elections.”
On the city ballot, every Democrat candidate had a cakewalk, including Jones herself, who won her first citywide office as St. Louis Treasurer.
“Now we’re onto planning our transition, talking to employees, trying to make an action plan and trying to deliver everything we promised the citizens of St. Louis when we were running,” she said.
“For example, providing financial empowerment resources for low-income communities, taking a look at the parking situation and the government structure, taking a look at the financial status of the office and where we need to make improvements in investments to provide more funds for the general revenue, and doing a complete audit of operations and human resources.”
