Republican legislator announces resignation from Missouri House

A Republican state lawmaker suddenly and unexpectedly resigned from the Missouri House Friday night.

State Rep. John McCaherty, a Jefferson County Republican, told The Star Saturday morning that he decided to step down to focus on running for county executive.

“It’s a challenge to do your regular job, the state job and county executive stuff and doing a good job at all of it,” he said. “I didn’t think I was doing justice to the district.”

His letter of resignation, which will take effect Monday, Sept. 18, offered no reason, saying only that it has been “an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the district and citizens of Missouri.”

With the memories of high-profile sex scandals leading to the resignations of three state lawmakers in the last two years still fresh in the minds of Capitol denizens, McCaherty’s vague letter fueled rumors that he was being forced to step down.

McCaherty said that’s not the case. It is the campaign for county executive, he said, and nothing else that caused him to resign.

“Nothing salacious,” he said. “Nothing like that at all.”

He said he spoke with House Speaker Todd Richardson, a Poplar Bluff Republican, before making the decision.

Richardson declined comment.

This story was originally published September 16, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Republican legislator announces resignation from Missouri House."