Nine Times Mo. Governors replaced

By Paul Hamby
Posted 7/24/24

Missouri became a state in 1820. Since then, nine Governors did not finish their term and were replaced by the Lieutenant Governor or someone else.

The most recent case was when Lt Governor Mike …

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Nine Times Mo. Governors replaced

Posted

Missouri became a state in 1820. Since then, nine Governors did not finish their term and were replaced by the Lieutenant Governor or someone else.

The most recent case was when Lt Governor Mike Parson replaced Governor Eric Greitens on June 1, 2018. Greitens resigned following ethics complaints and a pending impeachment hearing. Parson finished Greitens’ term and was then elected to a 4 year term on Nov. 3, 2020.

Here are the eight other cases:

On Aug. 4, 1825, Abraham J. Williams, president of the Missouri State Senate, assumed the duties of the governorship when Governor Frederick Bates died in office. Williams became the 3rd Governor of Missouri and served for 6 months.

On Sept. 30, 1836, Lt. Gov. Lilburn W. Boggs replaced Governor Daniel Dunklin after he resigned from office to accept a better job. Dunklin was appointed U.S. surveyor general of Missouri and Illinois by President Andrew Jackson. Boggs was elected to a gubernatorial term of his own in a special election. He served 4 years and 2 months as Governor, then was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 1842.

On Feb. 9, 1844, Lt. Gov. Meredith M. Marmaduke replaced Governor Thomas Reynolds after he committed suicide while in office. Marmaduke served for 10 months.

On Feb. 27, 1857, Lt. Gov. Hancock Lee Jackson replaced Governor Trusten Polk when he resigned from office. Jackson served as governor for 8 months. A special election was held for governor and then he resumed his role as Lt. Gov. for the rest of the term. Polk only served 2 months as Governor before the state legislature voted to send him to Washington as Missouri’s U.S. Senator. Prior to 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by the state legislature Polk served as a U.S. senator until 1862 when he was expelled for his support of the Confederacy.

On June 30, 1861, Hamilton R Gamble was appointed the provisional governor after the legislature removed Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson because he denied President Lincoln’s request to provide troops for the uncivil war. Jackson had campaigned as a moderate on the issue of secession, but once elected tried to get Missouri to join the south. The legislature had a majority of northern sympathizers and voted to oust Jackson. Gamble served for 31 months and died while in office.

On Jan. 31, 1864, Lt. Gov. Willard P. Hall replaced Governor Hamilton Gamble who died in office due to an infection in his arm. Hall served for 12 months.

On Dec. 28, 1887, Lt. Gov. Albert Pickett Morehouse replaced Governor John S. Marmaduke who became ill and died in office. Morehouse served for 13 months.

On Oct. 16, 2000, Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson replaced Gov Mel Carnahan who died in a plane crash. Carnahan was running for the U.S. Senate. Wilson served for 3 months.