The Star endorses a forward-thinking leader for Missouri lieutenant governor
In the race for Missouri lieutenant governor, a status-quo incumbent faces a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Mike Kehoe, a Republican from Jefferson City, is running against former Kansas City Councilwoman Alissia Canady, a Democrat whose strong but unsuccessful bid for mayor drew notice in political circles last year.
While Kehoe has substantial experience in Jefferson City, Canady is an impressive, forward-thinking leader who would bring new energy and a commitment to representing all Missourians to this often overlooked post.
Canady is The Star’s choice for lieutenant governor over Kehoe, who was appointed to the job in 2018 by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson after then-Gov. Eric Greitens resigned in disgrace.
Canady’s candidacy will test the question: Are Missouri voters finally ready to elect the first African American to statewide office? They ought to be. Canady’s resume is impressive. She is an outside-the-box thinker who grew up on Kansas City’s East Side.
She started working full-time at 16 and purchased her first home before she was 21.
On the Kansas City Council, Canady, an attorney, started a program to aid elderly and disabled residents with home repair. And she worked to help Kansas City Public Schools families avoid eviction.
Canady said that as lieutenant governor, she would work with Republican leadership in the legislature to find solutions for reducing gun violence.
“The issues that matter to Missourians are not partisan,” Canady told The Star Editorial Board. “I’ve demonstrated … I’m not tied to Black issues. I’m not tied to partisan issues. I’m tied to responding to the interest and needs of my constituents.”
Canady’s agenda includes improving early childhood education, reducing gun violence, and addressing the issues that lead to crime: substance abuse, mental health challenges and hopelessness. She is a strong proponent of Medicaid expansion in the state, which was approved by Missouri voters in August and now must be implemented by lawmakers.
In this campaign, Canady has chided Kehoe and Parson for their lackluster response to the coronavirus pandemic.
As cases continue to surge in the state, the lieutenant governor has been invisible in the fight to slow the spread of the disease, Canady said.
“What has he done?” she said. “Where has he been?”
Kehoe, who has said his priorities for the next four years include high-quality education, workforce development, improved infrastructure and tourism, pushed back on the notion that he abrogated his responsibilities during the last several months. He said proof of his work could be found on the internet.
“I’ve been out trying to make sure Missourians are safe,” he said.
Like the governor, Kehoe has resisted the statewide mask mandate recommended by the White House COVID-19 task force. And he was reluctant in an interview with The Star Editorial Board to distance himself from the governor, who has failed every leadership test during this pandemic.
Advocate for the elderly
In Missouri, the lieutenant governor is the official advocate for the elderly, according to the state Constitution.
Kehoe, though, has been unwilling to take responsibility for coronavirus outbreaks in Missouri nursing homes.
At one nursing facility in Kansas City, three deaths and more than 140 cases of COVID-19 among patients and staff have been reported since mid-September.
Ninety-eight residents and 44 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Garden Valley Healthcare Center. Hundreds more seniors across the state have died as coronavirus cases continue to multiply.
“The issue is … people are not following proper protocol,” Kehoe said.
Kehoe has provided less-than-satisfactory answers to queries about questionable personal and family business deals.
He waived off concerns about a neighbor he introduced to Missouri Department of Corrections Director Anne Precythe 2017. Within months, the neighbor’s company won a lucrative no-bid state contract for management training worth nearly $1 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“I asked my neighbor… to do this for free for her, which he did for six months,” Kehoe said. “Nobody ever checked this fact out.”
Kehoe also dismissed questions about an FBI probe related to a controversial deal to purchase ambulances in Cole County. The Post-Dispatch reported that Kehoe called the purchasing process unfair and backed challengers to two Cole County Commission incumbents after they decided to buy emergency vehicles from a Canadian competitor instead of the lieutenant governor’s brother, who owns an ambulance company in Osage County.
“I’ve never been contacted by the FBI,” Kehoe said.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho decides the endorsements?
Members of The Kansas City Star Editorial Board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is comprised of seasoned opinion journalists and is separate from The Star’s newsroom. The board’s members are editorial writers Toriano Porter and Mara’ Rose Williams — all veteran journalists with decades of experience. Editors Derek Donovan is also a member, and editor David Tarrant, while not a member of the board, reads and often improves each editorial we publish. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Star Editorial Board invites candidates in each race to meet with the board in an on-the-record discussion, the purpose of which is more fully understand what distinguishes one candidate from another. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates. The editorial board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous..
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We do weigh heavily their stances on issues we consider basic tests of judgment and candor, such as whether they even acknowledge climate change as real, or if they continue to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. We weigh these factors against many others, and state clearly what our conclusions are. Primarily, we evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats, making recommendations about who the best-qualified candidate for each job is.
Why are endorsements unsigned?
Endorsements reflect the collective views of The Star’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. Board members all discuss and contribute ideas to each endorsement editorial.
A former state senator, Kehoe is well-connected in Missouri politics and well-versed on the issues. In a campaign season when many Missouri Republicans have ducked debates and tough interviews, Kehoe deserves credit for answering every question from The Star Editorial Board.
But the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the governor’s inability to meet this moment, and Kehoe has remained in lockstep with Parson’s head-in-the-sand strategy.
Missouri needs to elect a lieutenant governor who would follow the science in aggressively combating the coronavirus outbreak and who would advocate for all Missourians, not just those with the same political ideology.
Alissia Canady is the clear choice, and she has earned The Star’s endorsement.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.