Missouri Governor Mike Parson and Chris Chinn, director of the state Department of Agriculture, ride a golf cart through the state fairgrounds in Sedalia (August 8, 2024 photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Agriculture Twitter page)
Missouri’s governor says no other governor has appointed five people to statewide office. He is pleased with Tuesday’s Republican primary, in which Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe won the nomination for governor and Andrew Bailey and Vivek Malek won the nominations for attorney general and state treasurer, respectively. Gov. Mike Parson joined “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” live on 939 the Eagle and told listeners Tuesday was a good day. Gov. Parson describes Mr. Kehoe, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Malek as people who come from humble backgrounds and have a strong work ethic. Gov. Parson also talked about his international trade mission to Panama, which begins tomorrow morning and runs through Tuesday. Gov. Parson says Missouri exported $37 million worth of products to Panama in 2023. He says agriculture will be a key issue in Panama. Governor Parson says he will also visit members of the Missouri National Guard who are participating in a multinational exercise focused on ensuring the free movement of goods through the Panama Canal. He points out that the Missouri National Guard has participated in a state partnership program with Panama since 1996. Governor Parson says he will also meet with representatives of Kansas City Southern, which operates the rail line along the Panama Canal. The governor praised the 2023 merger between Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern, which created the first and only single-track transnational rail line between Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company is based in Kansas City. Governor Parson also praises retiring state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Director Patrick McKenna:
