ICYMI: In Scathing Editorial, St. Louis Post Dispatch Endorses Nicole Galloway Over Gov. Mike Parson Due To His “Horrendous” Handling of Pandemic and Refusal to Lead

On Saturday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board endorsed Nicole Galloway for governor and came out swinging against incumbent Gov. Mike Parson. The ed board doesn’t waste any time calling Parson out for what he is – an “accident of history” and a reluctant leader who “continually falls short.”

The Post-Dispatch gives Galloway a glowing endorsement for governor, saying “her record of professionalism and accountability contrasts sharply with Parson’s abysmal record of failure.” Galloway, the state’s auditor, has spent her career fighting for Missouri’s families, and is giving Parson a run for his money, literally. She outraised him 2:1 last quarter and in the month of August.

Parson has repeatedly failed Missourians on COVID-19, ignoring public health experts, refusing to mandate masks, spreading disinformation, and eventually becoming an irresponsible spreader of the virus himself. His mismanagement of the pandemic has resulted in rapid virus spread across the state – over 70% of Missouri’s counties have moderate to high levels of transmission of the virus, and the past four White House Coronavirus Task Force reports have put Missouri in the “red zone” for COVID-19. Experts warn the state is in a vulnerable position heading into the winter.

Missouri’s accidental governor has refused to lead on just about everything else too – calling special sessions on violent crime that accomplish next to nothing, sabotaging access to reproductive health care, and railing against Medicaid expansion, even though it would save rural hospitals and boost Missouri’s economy. Add on to that the multitude of corruption allegations against his administration, and it’s clear Missouri desperately needs new leadership.

At least four national race ratings agencies have ranked the Missouri governor’s race as more competitive.

Read more about Galloway’s endorsement below:

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Editorial: We recommend Nicole Galloway for Missouri governor

Two statewide incumbents will vie on Nov. 3 for the governor’s office, although only one of them — Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway — was actually elected to her current office. The other, Gov. Mike Parson, is an accident of history after a fellow Republican, Gov. Eric Greitens, left office in disgrace and created a vacancy for the then-lieutenant governor to fill. Otherwise, Parson would remain comfortably ensconced in the powerless and largely symbolic office to which he was elected.

Galloway has withstood the heat of statewide election fervor, and in 2018 she garnered more votes than her far more famous fellow Democrat, Sen. Claire McCaskill. That’s a clear sign of Missouri voters’ ability to look beyond partisan affiliation and glean competence and leadership where it clearly exists. Galloway sailed to victory with a six-point lead over her GOP opponent. Her record of professionalism and accountability contrasts sharply with Parson’s abysmal record of failure, particularly regarding pandemic management. We recommend Galloway for governor in the Nov. 3 election.

We’ve always liked Parson’s downhome, easy-going, folksy manner. But when it comes to the hard-nosed decision-making required to run this state, he continually falls short. The Republican-dominate Legislature ignores him, as it did in the recent special session he called. Parson’s management of the pandemic has been horrendous. Because he refuses to lead, conservative counties are disregarding his tepid calls to wear masks and observe social-distancing guidelines. As a result, Missouri ranks near the top nationwide in new daily coronavirus infection rates, with Parson and his wife now counted among the victims.

His reluctant leadership has cost the economy dearly and slowed what might have been a smoother glide toward reopening schools and getting people back to work. And with violent urban crime on the rise, Parson has embraced measures that make it easier for criminals to access guns while making it more difficult for police to challenge them.

As auditor, Galloway has rigidly enforced ethical and accountability standards without political favor. Democratic local and state officials have felt the sting of her audits just as often as have Republican ones.

This election marks a crucial opportunity to end the unbroken dynasty of male occupancy of the governor’s office. It’s a particularly meaningful moment because of the Legislature’s ongoing efforts, with Parson falling in line, to restrict women’s right to control their own bodies.

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