Northwest Missouri lawmaker will enter GOP gubernatorial primary against Parson

A Missouri state representative announced Wednesday he will run in 2020 to be the state’s next governor.

State Rep. Jim Neely, a Cameron Republican and physician, would first have to edge out Gov. Mike Parson in a Republican primary.

Parson, the former lieutenant governor who rose to replace the scandal-plagued Eric Greitens last year, is expected to officially announce his bid for governor Sept. 8.

The winner of the primary will face a Democrat. So far, State Auditor Nicole Galloway is the only candidate to have announced.

The term-limited Neely, 68, will head into the last of his eight legislative sessions as a state representative, where he said his influence has been limited.

He’s hoping that taking on the role of governor will help him solve some of the issues, especially in health care, that have dragged on throughout his time there.

“There are some issues people in Jefferson City are not willing to touch,” Neely said.

They include trying to reduce the tax on feminine hygiene products and chipping away at the millions paid to managed care companies that supplement Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, disabled and elderly.

“I don’t know how much of that (money) is coming back to the people who do the work,” Neely said, of managed care. “I know the CEOs are making a lot of money and that’s at the taxpayer’s expense.”

He has also introduced legislation that would legalize medical marijuana.

Neely said he would lobby for fewer task forces, and more action.

“We are not implementing anything. What are we doing?” Neely said. “(The task forces) are not productive, but it’s quite the show.”

Entering the race, however, was not a reflection on Parson’s performance as governor, he said.

“I don’t know Gov. Parson,” Neely said. “I’ve maybe only had a conversation with him at a (bill) signing ceremony.”

But Neely did say that taxpayers have felt underappreciated in Jefferson City and have not seen their money lead to improvements like good roads and better pay for teachers.

When it was noted he had little experience running a statewide race, Neely pointed to Greitens’ win. Though the Navy Seal had publicity through his best-selling books and charity, he had never held political office before his run for governor.

Neely said Greitens’ approach -- “beating up on Jeff City” -- wasn’t his style, but did hold a lesson.

“He won. I wonder if that’s a message to government about what the people’s mindset is,” Neely said.

Neely said he doesn’t have a political action committee (PAC) to raise funds and is working on gathering campaign staff.

Parson has more than $3 million in his campaign account and associated PACs. Neely has raised about $18,000.

Neely was born in Cameron and grew up in Grandview. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Missouri-Columbia, spent two years stateside in the U.S. Army and then received a doctoral degree of osteopathic medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

He moved back to Cameron in 1993, where he has worked as a hospitalist and physician focused on geriatrics. He and his wife, Sandra, have five children.

This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 5:00 AM.