The 2016 Missouri Attorney General election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Attorney General of Missouri, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Republican Josh Hawley defeated the Democratic nominee Teresa Hensley.
Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster did not run for re-election to a third term in office, but was instead the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor.
Democratic primary Candidates Declared Teresa Hensley, former Cass County Prosecuting Attorney and nominee for MO-04 in 2012 Jake Zimmerman, St. Louis County Assessor, former state representative and former assistant attorney general
Withdrawn Scott Sifton, state senator (running for re-election)
Declined Jennifer Joyce, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jason Kander, Missouri Secretary of State (running for the U.S. Senate) Chris Koster, incumbent Attorney General (running for Governor) Joe Maxwell, former lieutenant governor of Missouri Jean Peters Baker, Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Sanders, Jackson County Executive, former Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney and former chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered SamplesizeMargin oferror TeresaHensley JakeZimmerman UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA July 20–24, 2016 500 ± 4.4% 41% 39% 20%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout July 15–16, 2016 1,119 ± 3.0% 26% 41% 33%Remington Research Group (R)Remington Research Group (R) September 18–19, 2015 1,589 ± 2.4% 27% 23% 51%
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared Josh Hawley, law professor at University of Missouri School of Law and former clerk for United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Kurt Schaefer, state senator
Declined Catherine Hanaway, former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri (running for governor) Tim Jones, Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Eric Schmitt, state senator (running for state treasurer)
Controversy Allegations of abuse of office by Missouri attorney general candidate Kurt Schaefer have surfaced: Schaefer allegedly pressured the former University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe to interfere with Josh Hawley's ability to run for attorney general. Hawley was a professor at the University of Missouri. Wolfe wrote in a January 19 email: "Schaefer had several meetings with me pressuring me to take away Josh Hawley's right to run for Attorney General by taking away an employee's right to ask for an unpaid leave of absence when running for public office." The email went on to say he was worried that Schaefer might influence cuts in the university's budget due to political fallout if he did not do as Schaefer asked.
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JoshHawley KurtSchaefer UndecidedSurveyUSA July 20–24, 2016 773 ± 3.6% 34% 39% 28%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout July 7–8, 2016 1,022 ± 3.0% 30% 28% 42%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout June 17–18, 2016 963 ± 3.2% 21% 28% 51%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout May 13–14, 2016 1,421 ± 2.7% 18% 23% 58%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout March 10–12, 2016 1,704 ± 2.5% 12% 24% 64%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout October 23–24, 2015 1,033 ± 3.0% 12% 19% 69%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout June 18–19, 2015 1,130 ± 3.0% 9% 16% 75%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout April 3–4, 2015 621 ± 3.9% 10% 15% 75%
Results
General election Predictions Source Ranking Governing
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror TeresaHensley (D) JoshHawley (R) UndecidedThe Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R) September 19–20, 2016 1,076 ± 3.2% 38% 47% 15%Remington Research Group (R)Remington Research Group (R) September 1–2, 2016 1,275 ± 3.0% 41% 47% 12%Remington Research Group (R)Remington Research Group (R) August 5–6, 2016 1,280 ± 3% 44% 48% 8%Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutRemington Research Group (R)/Missouri Scout April 15–16, 2016 1,281 ± 3.0% 38% 38% 24%
Results
By congressional district Hawley won six of eight congressional districts. District Hensley Hawley Representative 77% 23%Lacy Clay 41% 59%Ann Wagner 33% 67%Blaine Luetkemeyer 36% 64%Vicky Hartzler 57% 43%Emanuel Cleaver 36% 64%Sam Graves 28% 72%Billy Long 28% 72%Jason Smith
See also Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016
References
External links Official campaign websites Josh Hawley for Attorney General Teresa Hensley for Attorney General Kurt Schaefer for Attorney General Jake Zimmerman for Attorney General