Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday that former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway will replace Andrew Bailey as the state’s next attorney general. This comes after Bailey resigned on Monday to become co-deputy director of the FBI.
Hanaway, the first and only female speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, now becomes the first female Attorney General in the state’s history. During her introductory press conference, Hanaway outlined her priorities, which included protecting Missourians “from anyone who would do violence against them, who would rip them off in financial schemes, who would abuse them by providing terrible care and getting paid by Medicaid and anyone who would try to invade their constitutional rights.”
Hanaway can serve out Bailey’s term, which runs until the end of 2028, before deciding on whether she wants to run for a full term.