Catherine Hanaway, former GOP House speaker, joins Missouri governor race

Catherine Hanaway, a former speaker of the Missouri House, said Monday she’s a candidate for governor.

Hanaway is a Republican from Warson Woods and former U.S. attorney.

“We can do better as a state,” Hanaway, 50, said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “We can attract better jobs, we can improve the education for our children and we should have a government that respects our freedom as individuals.”

Hanaway isn’t the only well-known Republican in the 2016 governor’s race. State Auditor Tom Schweich is also thought to be considering a campaign for the job. Schweich faces a re-election campaign this year.

The winner of the 2016 GOP primary would probably face Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat. Koster, 49, has been raising campaign funds for months. His latest disclosure, filed in mid-January, showed a balance of almost $1.6 million.

Hanaway said she entered the race more than two years before Election Day 2016 because of Koster’s campaign efforts.

“We can no longer sit idly by as the de facto Democrat nominee continues to raise money and build his organization,” the statement said.

This story was originally published February 10, 2014 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Catherine Hanaway, former GOP House speaker, joins Missouri governor race."