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Governor Mike Parson announces appointment for Attorney General

Gov. Mike Parson's appointee for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey addressed questions at the press conference on Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 in Jefferson City.
Governor Mike Parson Facebook Live
Gov. Mike Parson's appointee for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (left) addressed questions at the press conference on Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 in Jefferson City.

Gov. Mike Parson has announced his appointment for Missouri Attorney General. Andrew Bailey will replace U.S. Senator-Elect Eric Schmitt.

Andrew Bailey, General Counsel for Gov. Mike Parson's office, has been appointed as the Missouri Attorney General.
Courtesy of the Missouri Governor's Office
Andrew Bailey, General Counsel for Gov. Mike Parson's office, has been appointed as the Missouri Attorney General.

Bailey, 41, has served as General Counsel for the governor’s office since 2021. Parson said he played a role in creating state policies that limited abortion access and prohibited mask and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I've spent the last several years earning the trust of the governor and his team. I will always stand up and fight for freedom. I will spend the next few years earning the trust of the people of this state," Bailey said.

Both Parson and Bailey highlighted the importance of stability in the role, as this is the second time Parson has appointed an attorney general within his administration. Previous Attorneys General are Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, now U.S. Senator-Elect and U.S. Senator, respectively. Bailey, who has never before held an elected office, said he intends to run for the position in two years.

"Strength and stability are essential. Transitions are rarely easy, and the Missouri Attorney General's Office has had its share," Parson said. "Stability will be critical."

In his role as Missouri Attorney General, Bailey said he can't yet commit to the cases brought about by his predecessor Schmitt before reviewing what to pursue. Schmitt has pursued cases against Biden administration involving the proposed student loan forgiveness program and 24 other lawsuits against the Biden administration.

Bailey, a military veteran, foster parent and father of four, grew up in mid-Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia on an army scholarship. After serving in Iraq in two overseas deployments, Bailey attended the University of Missouri School of Law on the post 9/11 GI bill.

One of his main goals as General Counsel has been reducing the backlog of clemency applications, according to Parson. His administration inherited nearly 3,500. Parson said Bailey played a role in reducing that number by 2,000.

Parson said he will soon announce his appointment for state treasurer to replace Scott Fitzpatrick, who was recently elected as Missouri auditor.

Kassidy Arena was the Engagement Producer for KBIA from 2022-2023. In her role, she reported and produced stories highlighting underrepresented communities, focused on community outreach and promoting media literacy. She was born in Berkeley, California, raised in Omaha, Nebraska and graduated with a degree in Journalism at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
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