MO Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to run for governor

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has announced he will be running for governor.

The announcement was made early this morning around 5 a.m. Ashcroft was first elected as Secretary of State back in 2016 and won reelection in 2020. Current Governor Mike Parson’s term ends in January of 2025.

“Missouri stands at a crossroads,” said Ashcroft. “Red states like Florida, Texas, Tennessee, even Indiana and Arkansas, have become examples of conservative leadership while Missouri Republicans, who control every statewide office and have supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature, have failed to deliver. I’m running to change that.”

A February 8-9 poll conducted by Remington Research Group shows Ashcroft with a 19-point lead over other possible candidates, while his campaign has raised $738,000 and an aligned PAC, Committee for Liberty, has raised $1.3 million, for a total of more than $2 million prior to formally joining the race.