Kehoe appoints Hanaway as next attorney general

By Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) -- With Attorney General Andrew Bailey set to head to Washington, D.C., this September to work for the FBI after being tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, Gov. Mike Kehoe has appointed a new attorney general.

Kehoe said Tuesday that Catherine Hanaway will take over Sept. 8. She will be the first female attorney general.

Hanaway was a Republican House Speaker from 2003-2005, the first and only woman to hold the post.

Bailey, a Republican, previously challenged COVID-19 masking in schools as well as gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers. Bailey also created the anti-human trafficking task force and was a strong supporter of pro-law enforcement legislation.

Bailey also has a record as a state official loyal to President Donald Trump, supporting administration policies with dozens of legal filings since he took office in January 2023. Former Gov. Mike Parson appointed Bailey in 2022, and he was elected to AG in 2024.

Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune said in a statement Monday that the House Minority Caucus hopes Kehoe will appoint a "competent attorney general."

"Bailey’s departure gives the governor an opportunity to appoint a competent and
professional attorney general who will defend the rights of all Missourians instead of wasting
taxpayer money on frivolous culture war lawsuits that regularly get laughed out of court," Aune said.

Hanaway works for the law firm Husch Blackwell, representing white collar clients in areas such as lobbying law, fraud and money laundering. One of her clients is the Grain Belt Express, a renewable energy project that Bailey staunchly opposed.

Kehoe, in making the announcement, said Hanaway was a champion for conservative Missouri values.