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Chris Koster
Chris Koster (born August 31, 1964, in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former Democratic attorney general of Missouri. He was first elected to the statewide executive position in 2008 and won re-election on November 6, 2012.[1]
Although eligible, Koster did not run for re-election to the attorney general seat in 2016. Instead, he ran for governor of Missouri. He won the Democratic primary election on August 2, 2016. He was defeated by Eric Greitens (R) in the November 8, 2016, general election.
Biography
Two years following his graduation from law school, Koster served as an assistant to the Attorney General of Missouri. He remained in that position until 1993 when he joined the Kansas City-based private firm of Blackwell Sanders where he practiced law for nearly a year. In 1994, Koster was elected as Prosecuting Attorney for Cass County, Missouri. He was subsequently re-elected to the position in both 1998 and 2002. His main responsibility as the county's prosecutor was to supervise a staff of up to twenty individuals who served as the civil counsel for all non-criminal matters before the county government. He was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 2004 as a Republican and served until 2007, when he changed party affiliation to run for attorney general as a Democrat. He won the 2008 election for attorney general and was re-elected in 2012.
- Member, Belton Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Belton-Raymore Rotary Club
- Board Member, Hope Haven Women's Shelter
- Board of Directors, Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
- Member, Anti-Terrorism Task Force, United States Attorney Bioterrorism Task Force
- Board Member, Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission
Education
- Bachelor's degree, University of Missouri - Columbia (1987)
- Juris Doctorate degree, University of Missouri - Columbia (1991)
- Master's degree, Washington University in St. Louis (2002) in business administration
Political career
Missouri Attorney General (2008-2017)
Koster defeated Mike Gibbons (R) in the November 4, 2008, election to become attorney general. He was re-elected in 2012, but did not seek re-election in 2016.
Noteworthy events
Cigarette tax
On April 5, 2012, the Kansas City Star published an op-ed piece written by Koster in which he presented a case for raising Missouri's tax on cigarettes. He proposed increasing the tax from 17 cents per pack to 73 cents per pack, which he said would raise revenue by $400 million. According to Koster, Missouri had the lowest cigarette tax among the 50 states and also the second-highest smoking rate per capita in the country at the time.[2]
Healthcare reform
Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (R), along with three state residents, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Affordable Care Act on July 8, 2010. In challenging provisions of the federal legislation, Kinder argued that the state could not "afford the huge financial burden of this bill." Kinder also said the law would reduce state residential access to affordable health care options.[3]
Four days later, State Attorney General Koster filed a motion in federal court to try and block Kinder's lawsuit. Koster "contends Kinder should not be allowed to sue in his official capacity and wants that part of the lawsuit dismissed," according to Business Week.[4]
On August 3, 2010, the voters of Missouri voted in favor of Proposition C, a measure that aimed to block the federal government from requiring people to buy health insurance and to ban punishment for those without health insurance. The measure was approved with 71% of the vote.[5][6]
After the measure passed, Koster "filed a notice of withdrawal of his motion to intervene in the lawsuit" Kinder had filed.[7] In a released statement, Kinder said that the state attorney general "has allowed the lieutenant governor to continue the lawsuit in his official and personal capacities."[8]
Koster filed an amicus brief with the federal appeals court. It said that, following the passage of Proposition C, the federal health insurance mandate and state law were in conflict.[9]
Ethics complaint
Three of the four candidates who challenged Koster in the 2008 election for State Attorney General joined together and filed an ethics complaint against him in July 2008. Supporters of Democratic candidates Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly as well as Republican Mike Gibbons accused Koster of violating state campaign finance laws. The complaint was filed after the Associated Press published a story alleging that Koster's campaign staff had laundered money through various committees to evade campaign contribution limits. Individual and business group contributions were limited to $1,350 per election cycle.[10][11]
The Missouri Ethics Commission did not move forward with the ethics complaint. Four votes were required from the six-member commission to move the case forward. The vote was 3-1 with two members recusing themselves.[12]
Party affiliation change
Koster was elected to the Missouri State Senate as a Republican in 2004. In August 2007, he switched his party affiliation to the Democratic Party. Announcing the switch, Koster said he felt the Republican Party had become too extreme. "This fight is now real, and will moreover, have extraordinary consequences for Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, our state, our educational institutions, and our collective futures," Koster said.[13]
Elections
2016
- See also: Missouri gubernatorial election, 2016
On April 9, 2013, Koster confirmed that he would run for governor in 2016 rather than seek a third term as state attorney general. In the August 2, 2016, primary election he won the Democratic nomination. He competed with Republican Eric Greitens, who also won his party's nomination; Libertarian Cisse Spragins, who ran unopposed; Green Party candidate Don Fitz, and independent Lester Turilli Jr.
The governor's seat was open in 2016 because Gov. Jay Nixon (D) has reached his term limit. By July 2015, Koster had raised almost $4 million for his gubernatorial campaign, exceeding the combined $3.7 million raised by all six potential Republican candidates in the race.[14] He competed with Eric Morrison, Leonard Steinman and Charles B. Wheeler in the August 2 Democratic primary.[15] Polling and fundraising activity leading up to the primary election had suggested Kinder would win the nomination.
General election campaigns
Attorney General Chris Koster (D) and nonprofit CEO Eric Greitens (R) won their parties' primaries on August 2, 2016. They competed alongside Libertarian Cisse Spragins in the November 2016 general election for governor.
On August 5, 2016, general election candidates appeared in a forum to compete for the endorsement of the Missouri Farm Bureau, one of the state's largest agricultural advocacy groups. Chris Koster (D), who served as a Republican state senator for three years before winning election to the office of attorney general in 2008 as a Democrat, touted his record of supporting the Farm Bureau while in the Senate, while Eric Greitens (R) promised to gather a team of experts to advise him. Koster won the endorsement with 76 percent of the vote, making him the first ever Democratic candidate for statewide office backed by the Bureau.[16] [17]
Ethics complaints
The race for governor prompted several ethics complaints targeting general election candidates Chris Koster (D) and Eric Greitens (R). On July 23, former state Rep. Carl Bearden (R) filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) alleging that Greitens had accepted a $2 million donation from a super PAC in violation of state campaign laws. James Klahr, director of the MEC, responded that the commission could only investigate the complaint if it was re-filed after the August 2 primary election, as state law prohibits investigations within 15 days of the primaries.[18]
On August 4, two days following the primary elections, Chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party Roy Temple filed three ethics complaints against Greitens. The first complaint alleged that Greitens coordinated illegally with the political action committee LG PAC. The treasurer of LG PAC had been seen at one of Greitens' campaign events shortly before making an estimated $1 million ad buy attacking Greitens' rival John Brunner, which, if coordinated, would have been required to be disclosed by Greitens as an in-kind contribution. The second and third complaints alleged that Greitens' campaign coordinated with LG PAC, and with the political action committee SEALs for Truth, to conceal donors' identities.[19]
Greitens' campaign manager, Austin Chambers, dismissed the complaints, calling them "ridiculous politically motivated filings that are designed to distract away from Chris Koster’s 20 year record of epic failure and serial corruption."[19]
The following week, the D.C.-based ethics group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust filed a complaint with the MEC, accusing Democratic candidate Chris Koster of illegally accepting about $1 million in contributions from an out-of-state group called Jobs and Opportunity PAC. The complaint claimed that it was illegal for the group to contribute to Koster's campaign within 30 days of the primary elections. Koster's campaign manager, Andrew Whalen, denied the allegations and accused Greitens of being behind the complaint.[20] The foundation also filed a complaint against former attorney general candidate Kurt Schaefer (R) in May.
Election results
Eric Greitens defeated Chris Koster, Cisse Spragins, Lester Turilli, and Don Fitz in the Missouri governor election.
| Missouri Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Eric Greitens |
51.29% | 1,424,730 | |
| Democratic | Chris Koster | 45.40% | 1,261,110 | |
| Libertarian | Cisse Spragins | 1.47% | 40,718 | |
| Independent | Lester Turilli Jr. | 1.07% | 29,774 | |
| Green | Don Fitz | 0.75% | 20,785 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.03% | 737 | ||
| Total Votes | 2,777,854 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
Chris Koster defeated Eric Morrison, Charles B. Wheeler, and Leonard Steinman in the Missouri Democratic primary for governor.
| Missouri Democratic primary for governor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Chris Koster |
78.75% | 256,272 |
| Eric Morrison | 9.67% | 31,474 |
| Charles B. Wheeler | 7.91% | 25,756 |
| Leonard Steinman | 3.66% | 11,911 |
| Total Votes (3214 of 3214 precincts reporting) | 325,413 | |
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State | ||
2012
- See also: Missouri attorney general election, 2012
In September 2011, Koster announced he would be seeking re-election as Missouri Attorney General in 2012.[21] He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 7th. Koster defeated Republican nominee Ed Martin and Libertarian Dave Browning in the general election on November 6, 2012.[1][22]
| Attorney General of Missouri General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Chris Koster Incumbent |
55.9% | 1,491,139 | |
| Republican | Ed Martin | 40.6% | 1,084,106 | |
| Libertarian | Dave Browning | 3.5% | 92,819 | |
| Total Votes | 2,668,064 | |||
| Election results via Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Koster defeated Republican Mike Gibbons in the race for attorney general.
| 2008 Race for Attorney General - General Election[23] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  Chris Koster
|
52.9% | |
| Republican Party | Mike Gibbons | 47.1% | |
| Total Votes | 2,784,366 | ||
| 2008 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary[24] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | Chris Koster
|
34.3% | |
| Democratic Party | Margaret Donnelly | 34.1% | |
| Democratic Party | Jeff Harris | 25.0% | |
| Democratic Party | Molly Williams | 6.7% | |
| Total Votes | 670,364 | ||
Campaign themes
2016
Koster's campaign website pointed to his successes as attorney general:[25]
| “ | As one of Missouri’s most experienced prosecutors, Chris has personally convicted some of our state’s most notorious murders and has overseen more than 100 murder convictions during his career. ...
In 2010, when Missouri ranked as one of the worst states for domestic violence, Chris convened a statewide task force that overhauled Missouri’s outdated domestic violence laws and added important legal protections for survivors. He has protected consumers from predatory and unethical businesses, and his investigations have led to more than $51 million in restitution for victims. Chris has also kept his promise to root out fraud and abuse from Medicaid. Under his direction, the Attorney General’s office has recouped more than $285 million for taxpayers.[26] |
” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Chris Koster Missouri Attorney. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Missouri Attorney General's Office
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High St.
Post Office Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
E-mail: ag@ago.mo.gov
See also
| Missouri | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Official Missouri Attorney General website
- Missouri Senate - Chris Koster (R-31) Senate Member Information
- Chris Koster for Missouri Attorney General Campaign website
- Missourians for Honest Leadership - The Facts on Koster website
- Project Vote Smart - Chris Koster biography
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004
- Chris Koster on Facebook
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Missouri Secretary of State, "November 6, 2012 General Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Why the state should raise its tax on cigarettes," April 5, 2012
- ↑ Missouri Watchdog, "Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder files suit against federal health care law" 8 July, 2010
- ↑ Business Week, "Mo. AG files motion in health care lawsuit" 12 July, 2010
- ↑ The Columbia Missourian, "Missouri House seeks to block health insurance mandate" 3 March, 2010
- ↑ The Columbia Daily Tribune, "Missouri legislators OK referendum on health care" 12 May, 2010
- ↑ Legal Newsline, "AG Koster drops out of health care challenge" 23 Aug. 2010
- ↑ News Tribune, "Missouri AG withdraws motion in health care lawsuit" 22 Aug. 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ Missouri Watchdog, "Koster files legal opinion on federal health care law" 11 April 2011
- ↑ Fort Mills Times, "Mo. AG candidate Koster named in ethics complaints" 15 July, 2008
- ↑ The Columbia Missourian, "Chris Koster’s campaign staff may have violated fundraising law" 8 July, 2008
- ↑ Columbia Daily Tribune, "Koster won’t face ethics commission action," November 13, 2008
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Koster switches parties," August 1, 2007
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Koster has nearly $4 million for Missouri governor campaign," July 15, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Unofficial Candidate Filing List," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Candidates were required to win a two-thirds majority to earn the endorsement
- ↑ Missourian, "Democrat Koster wins Missouri Farm Bureau endorsement," August 5, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Greitens hit with ethics complaint over $2M in anonymous super PAC money," July 25, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Kansas City Star, "Missouri Democrats file ethics complaints against Republican Eric Greitens," August 4, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Another ethics complaint filed in governor's race," August 10, 2016
- ↑ KMBC, "Mo. AG Chris Koster To Seek 2nd Term," September 23, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ AP Election Results-Campaign 2012, "Missouri-Summary Vote Results," August 7, 2012
- ↑ State of Missouri - Official Results 2008 General Election
- ↑ State of Missouri - Official Results 2008 Primary Election
- ↑ Chris Koster, "Meet Chris," accessed June 27, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jay Nixon (D) |
Missouri Attorney General 2009-2017 |
Succeeded by Josh Hawley (R) |
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