JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri-Recently appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey officially launched his campaign for a full term in office on Monday, July 31, 2023.
Gov. Mike Parson, a fellow member of the Republican Party, named Bailey to the post to replace Eric Schmitt.
Schmitt exited the post after he won his bid for the open Missouri U.S. Senate seat last year; Bailey had previously worked as the top lawyer in Gov. Parson’s office.
Bailey had already announced his intention to run for a full term on the heels of his inauguration.
He mentioned his prior experiences as an assistant attorney general and assistant prosecutor during his service with the U.S. Army in his official announcement.
“I’m a combat veteran who has never backed down from a fight and a prosecutor who has defended Missouri communities by putting violent criminals behind bars,” he stated.
However, Bailey may already have some potent competition.
Republican Will Scharf has shown interest in replacing Schmitt as attorney general, and has begun campaigning for an unspecified statewide office in 2024.
Scharf previously worked as a former assistant U.S. attorney and adviser to former Gov. Eric Greitens. He gave $500,000 of his own money to his campaign in December of 2022.
