2016 Missouri gubernatorial election

The 2016 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Missouri, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2016 Missouri gubernatorial election

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NomineeEric GreitensChris Koster
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Popular vote1,433,3971,277,360
Percentage51.14%45.57%

Greitens:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Koster:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      50%      No votes

Governor before election

Jay Nixon
Democratic

Elected Governor

Eric Greitens
Republican

The primaries were held on August 2. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jay Nixon was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office.[1] State Attorney General Chris Koster and businessman, author and former U.S. Navy SEAL Eric Greitens won the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.[2][3] On election day, November 8, 2016, the Associated Press declared Greitens the winner of the election, and Koster conceded shortly after.[4]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster
Eric
Morrison
Leonard
Steinman
Charles
Wheeler
OtherUndecided
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–27, 2016400± 5.0%73%3%1%8%15%
SurveyUSA Archived 2016-07-27 at the Wayback MachineJuly 20–24, 2016500± 4.4%57%7%3%7%26%

Results

Results by county:
  Koster
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
Democratic primary results[17]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticChris Koster 256,272 78.75%
DemocraticEric Morrison31,4749.67%
DemocraticCharles Wheeler25,7567.92%
DemocraticLeonard Steinman11,9113.66%
Total votes325,413 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Former

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

John Brunner
Eric Greitens
Catherine Hanaway
Peter Kinder

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
John
Brunner
Eric
Greitens
Catherine
Hanaway
Peter
Kinder
Undecided
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–27, 2016400± 5.0%23%21%21%18%17%
SurveyUSA Archived 2016-07-27 at the Wayback MachineJuly 20–24, 2016773± 3.6%21%25%18%18%18%
OnMessage Inc.July 17–18, 2016500± 4.4%23%21%25%19%12%
Public Policy PollingJuly 11–12, 2016462± 3.2%16%24%22%15%23%
Remington Research Group (R)/Missouri ScoutJuly 7–8, 20161,022± 3.0%22%29%16%12%21%
Hypothetical polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
John
Brunner
Catherine
Hanaway
Peter
Kinder
Tom
Schweich
Dave
Spence
OtherUndecided
Remington Research GroupFebruary 2–3, 20157473.6%10%13%16%62%
12%24%15%48%
16%19%18%47%
Remington Research GroupJanuary 20151,355?44%56%
39%37%25%

Results

Results by county:
  Greitens
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Brunner
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Kinder
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
Republican primary results[17]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanEric Greitens 236,481 34.56%
RepublicanJohn Brunner169,62024.79%
RepublicanPeter Kinder141,62920.70%
RepublicanCatherine Hanaway136,52119.95%
Total votes684,251 100.00%

Third party and independent candidates

Green Party

Candidates

Declared

Independent

Candidates

Declared
  • Les Turilli, Jr., businessman[57]

Libertarian Party

Candidates

Declared

Results

Libertarian primary results [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%
LibertarianCisse W. Spragins 3,515 100.00%
Total votes3,515 100.00%

General election

Debates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report[59]TossupAugust 12, 2016
Daily Kos[60]TossupNovember 8, 2016
Rothenberg Political Report[61]TossupNovember 3, 2016
Sabato's Crystal Ball[62]Lean R (flip)November 7, 2016
Real Clear Politics[63]TossupNovember 1, 2016
Governing[64]TossupNovember 4, 2016

Polling

Aggregate polls
Source of poll
aggregation
Dates
administered
Dates
updated
Chris
Koster (D)
Eric
Greitens (R)
Other/Undecided
[a]
Margin
Real Clear PoliticsOctober 28 – November 1, 2016November 1, 201645.5%46.0%8.5%Greitens +0.5%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Eric
Greitens (R)
OtherUndecided
SurveyMonkeyNovember 1–7, 20161,368± 4.6%48%47%5%
SurveyMonkeyOctober 31–Nov 6, 20161,119± 4.6%49%46%5%
SurveyMonkeyOctober 28–Nov 3, 2016879± 4.6%49%47%4%
Public Policy PollingNovember 1–2, 2016871± 3.4%47%44%4%6%
SurveyMonkeyOctober 27 – November 2, 2016774± 4.6%50%47%3%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)October 31 – November 1, 20161,722± 2.4%45%46%4%4%
DFM ResearchOctober 27 – November 1, 2016508± 4.4%45%39%10%6%
SurveyMonkeyOctober 26 – November 1, 2016649± 4.6%52%46%2%
Monmouth UniversityOctober 28–31, 2016405± 4.9%46%46%2%5%
SurveyMonkeyOctober 25–31, 2016671± 4.6%54%44%2%
Missouri Scout/BK Strategies (R)October 27–28, 20161,698± 2.4%46%45%9%
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonOctober 24–26, 2016625± 4.0%46%45%9%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)October 23–25, 20162,559± 1.9%47%45%4%4%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)October 9–11, 20162,171± 2.1%48%42%5%5%
Monmouth UniversityOctober 9–11, 2016406± 4.9%46%43%2%8%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)October 4–5, 20161,588± 2.6%44%41%5%10%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)September 26–27, 20161,279± 3.0%51%35%5%[65]10%
The Tarrance Group (R-Greitens)September 19–22, 2016606± 4.1%45%42%13%
The Missouri Times/Remington Research Group (R)September 19–20, 20161,076± 3.2%47%37%4%[66]13%
The Missouri Times/Gravis MarketingSeptember 11–13, 2016604± 4.0%49%41%8%
The Missouri Times/Gravis MarketingSeptember 4–6, 2016589± 4.0%47%41%3%[67]9%
Missouri Scout/Remington Research Group (R)September 1–2, 20161,275± 3.0%46%42%12%
Monmouth UniversityAugust 19–22, 2016401± 4.9%51%40%3%6%
Remington Research Group (R)August 5–6, 20161,280± 3.0%45%43%7%
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–24, 2016625± 4.0%52%33%15%
DFM ResearchMarch 17–24, 2016674± 3.8%41%24%3%31%
Public Policy PollingSeptember 22–23, 2015731± 3.6%37%44%20%
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%40%34%26%
Hypothetical polling
with John Brunner
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
John
Brunner (R)
OtherUndecided
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–24, 2016625± 4.0%46%40%14%
DFM ResearchMarch 17–24, 2016674± 3.8%42%28%2%28%
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%41%36%23%
with Catherine Hanaway
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Catherine
Hanaway (R)
OtherUndecided
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–24, 2016625± 4.0%52%36%12%
DFM ResearchMarch 17–24, 2016674± 3.8%43%31%3%23%
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%40%36%23%
Gravius Public PollingJanuary 7–8, 2015?± 6%29%23%48%
Wilson Perkins Allen (R-Hanaway)January 15–19, 2014700± 3.7%33%35%32%
with Peter Kinder
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Peter
Kinder (R)
OtherUndecided
St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mason-DixonJuly 23–24, 2016625± 4.0%47%46%7%
DFM ResearchMarch 17–24, 2016674± 3.8%39%37%2%22%
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%37%40%24%
with Bob Dixon
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Bob
Dixon (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%39%35%26%
with Bart Korman
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Bart
Korman (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%39%31%30%
with Tom Schweich
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Tom
Schweich (R)
OtherUndecided
Gravius Public PollingJanuary 7–8, 2015?± 6%30%26%44%
with Randy Asbury
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Chris
Koster (D)
Randy
Asbury (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingAugust 7–9, 2015859± 3.3%40%35%25%
with Claire McCaskill
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Claire
McCaskill (D)
Catherine
Hanaway (R)
OtherUndecided
Gravius Public PollingJanuary 7–8, 2015?± 6%19%30%51%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Claire
McCaskill (D)
Tom
Schweich (R)
OtherUndecided
Gravius Public PollingJanuary 7–8, 2015?± 6%20%34%46%

Results

Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016[68]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RepublicanEric Greitens 1,433,397 51.14% +8.61%
DemocraticChris Koster1,277,36045.57%-9.20%
LibertarianCisse Spragins41,1541.47%-1.22%
IndependentLester Benton Turilli, Jr.30,0191.07%N/A
GreenDon Fitz21,0880.75%N/A
Write-in280.00%0.00%
Total votes2,803,046 100.00% N/A
Republican gain from Democratic
State Senate Districts results
State House Districts results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Campaign finance investigations

On April 28, 2017, the Missouri Ethics Commission fined Greitens' campaign $1,000 for violating state campaign ethics rules regarding campaign disclosure. Greitens did not contest the fine.[69]

In 2018, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced the opening of an investigation of Greitens' 2016 campaign financing.[70]

On June 1, 2018, Eric Greitens resigned from office, leaving Mike Parson, his lieutenant governor, to succeed him.

Notes

References

External links

Official campaign websites (Archived)