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Missouri Attorney General election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)
← 2020
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Missouri Attorney General |
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Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: March 26, 2024 |
Primary: August 6, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): Andrew Bailey (R) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Missouri |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2024 Impact of term limits in 2024 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
Missouri executive elections |
Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Incumbent Andrew Bailey (R) defeated Will Scharf (R) in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 6, 2024. Click here for detailed results.
The Kansas City Star's Jonathan Shorman and Kacen Bayless wrote, "With few sharp policy differences, the two candidates are trying to outfox each other in their support for [former President Donald Trump]."[1]
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) endorsed Bailey.[2] Club for Growth and Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton (R) endorsed Scharf.[3][4] As of June 25, the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) had not endorsed either candidate in this primary.[5][6] According to the Associated Press, the organization "normally supports GOP AG incumbents."[5]
Scharf, an attorney for Trump, said, "I think Missouri Republican primary voters appreciate the work that I'm doing for President Trump and I think know, based on how hard I've been fighting for President Trump, I'm always going to fight and win for them."[1] Meanwhile, Bailey said, at the time of the election, he plans to sue the state of New York over Trump's conviction of falsifying business records.[7] He also requested documents from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the prosecutions of Trump.[1]
Scharf began representing Trump in 2023.[8] Before working for Trump, Scharf was a U.S. Attorney's Office prosecutor for the Eastern District of Missouri.[9] He also served as policy director for Catherine Hanaway's 2016 gubernatorial campaign.[9] Following Hanaway's defeat in the 2016 Republican primary, Scharf worked as policy director for Eric Greitens' 2016 gubernatorial campaign and in his office.[9]
Parson appointed Bailey to serve as Attorney General of Missouri in 2023 after then-Attorney General Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate. Before his appointment, Bailey served in the Governor's office as Deputy Counsel and General Counsel.[10] His previous legal experience included working as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Warren County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and as General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections.[10]
Bailey said, "Missourians deserve to know they have someone willing to step up and fight back against federal government overreach, and that's exactly what I'll continue to do. I will always work to hold out-of-touch bureaucrats accountable and defend the rights of hardworking Missourians."[11]
Scharf said he would "push back against the encroachment of the radical woke left and the overreach of the federal government." Scharf said he believed that "now, more than ever, Missourians need leaders who will boldly confront these challenges and defend conservative principles without compromise."[12]
Will Scharf (R) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
This page focuses on Missouri's Republican Party Attorney General primary. For more in-depth information on Missouri's Democratic Attorney General primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Missouri Attorney General election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)
- Missouri Attorney General election, 2024
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri
Incumbent Andrew Bailey defeated Will Scharf in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Andrew Bailey | 63.0 | 413,915 |
![]() | Will Scharf ![]() | 37.0 | 243,012 |
Total votes: 656,927 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Missouri
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- Attorney General of Missouri (Assumed office: 2023)
Biography: Bailey received a bachelor's degree and a J.D. from the University of Missouri. Between college and law school, he served in the U.S. Army. Bailey was an assistant attorney general for the Missouri Attorney General's Office, an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Warren County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and as general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. He also served in the Missouri Governor's Office as deputy counsel and general counsel.
Show sources
Sources: St. Louis Public Radio, "Missouri attorney general's priorities for 2nd year include child welfare and public safety," January 5, 2024; X, "@AndrewBaileyMO on March 19, 2024," accessed July 8, 2024; X, "@Andrew BaileyMO on April 11, 2024," accessed July 8, 2024; The Office of the Attorney General for the State of Missouri, "About Attorney General Bailey," accessed June 23, 2024
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Missouri in 2024.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "“As an attorney for President Trump, I’m in the trenches, battling for the MAGA movement and fighting for its leader. As a lifelong conservative, I’m dedicated to fighting the radical woke left and building a more conservative Missouri."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Missouri in 2024.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Collapse all
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Will Scharf (R)
Protecting Our Constitutional Rights
Fighting for President Trump

Will Scharf (R)

Will Scharf (R)
Lifelong conservative dedicated to dismantling the radical left. Warrior for law and order with years of experience defending it.
True grassroots conservative.
Will Scharf (R)
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Andrew Bailey
February 13, 2024 |
February 8, 2024 |
View more ads here:
Will Scharf
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Will Scharf while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Endorsements
Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election Competitiveness
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Election Spending
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Click here to access those reports.
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Missouri, 2024 | |||
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District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
Missouri's 1st | Cori Bush | ![]() |
D+27 |
Missouri's 2nd | Ann Wagner | ![]() |
R+7 |
Missouri's 3rd | Blaine Luetkemeyer | ![]() |
R+16 |
Missouri's 4th | Mark Alford | ![]() |
R+23 |
Missouri's 5th | Emanuel Cleaver | ![]() |
D+11 |
Missouri's 6th | Sam Graves | ![]() |
R+21 |
Missouri's 7th | Eric Burlison | ![]() |
R+24 |
Missouri's 8th | Jason Smith | ![]() |
R+28 |
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Missouri[13] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
District | Joe Biden ![]() |
Donald Trump ![]() | ||
Missouri's 1st | 78.4% | 20.0% | ||
Missouri's 2nd | 45.3% | 53.0% | ||
Missouri's 3rd | 35.9% | 62.2% | ||
Missouri's 4th | 29.3% | 68.7% | ||
Missouri's 5th | 62.2% | 35.9% | ||
Missouri's 6th | 30.6% | 67.7% | ||
Missouri's 7th | 28.4% | 69.8% | ||
Missouri's 8th | 23.6% | 75.0% |
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
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Democratic | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
Republican | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
New Republican | D | D | R |
Following the 2020 presidential election, 64.2% of Missourians lived in one of the state's 111 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 35.8% lived in one of four Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Missouri was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Missouri following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.[14]
Missouri county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
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Solid Republican | 111 | 64.2% | |||||
Solid Democratic | 4 | 35.8% | |||||
Total voted Democratic | 4 | 35.8% | |||||
Total voted Republican | 111 | 64.2% |
Historical voting trends
Missouri presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 14 Democratic wins
- 17 Republican wins
Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winning Party | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Missouri.
U.S. Senate election results in Missouri | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2022 | 55.4%![]() |
42.2%![]() |
2018 | 51.4%![]() |
45.6%![]() |
2016 | 49.3%![]() |
46.2%![]() |
2012 | 54.8%![]() |
39.0%![]() |
2010 | 54.3%![]() |
40.6%![]() |
Average | 51.9 | 43.7 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Missouri
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Missouri.
Gubernatorial election results in Missouri | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2020 | 57.1%![]() |
40.7%![]() |
2016 | 51.1%![]() |
45.6%![]() |
2012 | 54.8%![]() |
42.5%![]() |
2008 | 58.4%![]() |
39.5%![]() |
2004 | 50.8%![]() |
47.8%![]() |
Average | 54.4 | 43.2 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Missouri's congressional delegation as of May 2024.
Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Missouri | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
Democratic | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Republican | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 8 | 10 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Missouri's top four state executive offices as May 2024.
State executive officials in Missouri, May 2024 | |
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Office | Officeholder |
Governor | ![]() |
Lieutenant Governor | ![]() |
Secretary of State | ![]() |
Attorney General | ![]() |
State legislature
Missouri State Senate
Party | As of February 2024 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 10 | |
Republican Party | 24 | |
Other | 0 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 34 |
Missouri House of Representatives
Party | As of February 2024 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 51 | |
Republican Party | 111 | |
Other | 0 | |
Vacancies | 1 | |
Total | 163 |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
Missouri Party Control: 1992-2024
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in Missouri and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
Demographic Data for Missouri | ||
---|---|---|
Missouri | United States | |
Population | 6,154,913 | 331,449,281 |
Land area (sq mi) | 68,745 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White | 79.4% | 65.9% |
Black/African American | 11.3% | 12.5% |
Asian | 2.1% | 5.8% |
Native American | 0.3% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Other (single race) | 1.5% | 6% |
Multiple | 5.4% | 8.8% |
Hispanic/Latino | 4.6% | 18.7% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate | 91.3% | 89.1% |
College graduation rate | 31.2% | 34.3% |
Income | ||
Median household income | $65,920 | $75,149 |
Persons below poverty level | 8.5% | 8.8% |
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
State profile
Demographic data for Missouri | ||
---|---|---|
Missouri | U.S. | |
Total population: | 6,076,204 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 68,742 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 82.6% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 11.5% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.8% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.4% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 3.9% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 88.4% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 27.1% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $48,173 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Missouri. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Missouri
Missouri voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Missouri coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Missouri
- United States congressional delegations from Missouri
- Public policy in Missouri
- Endorsers in Missouri
- Missouri fact checks
- More...
Election Context
Missouri Attorney General election history
2020
- See also: Missouri Attorney General election, 2020
General election
General election for Attorney General of Missouri
Incumbent Eric Schmitt defeated Richard Finneran and Kevin Babcock in the general election for Attorney General of Missouri on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Eric Schmitt (R) | 59.4 | 1,752,792 | |
![]() | Richard Finneran (D) ![]() | 37.9 | 1,117,713 | |
Kevin Babcock (L) | 2.7 | 81,100 |
Total votes: 2,951,605 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri
Richard Finneran defeated Elad Gross in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Richard Finneran ![]() | 55.4 | 272,516 |
![]() | Elad Gross ![]() | 44.6 | 219,462 |
Total votes: 491,978 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri
Incumbent Eric Schmitt advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Eric Schmitt | 100.0 | 602,577 |
Total votes: 602,577 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri
Kevin Babcock advanced from the Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Missouri on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Kevin Babcock | 100.0 | 4,089 |
Total votes: 4,089 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
- See also: Missouri Attorney General election, 2016
The general election for attorney general was held on November 8, 2016.
Josh Hawley defeated Teresa Hensley in the Missouri attorney general election.
Missouri Attorney General, 2016 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
61.10% | 1,389,196 | |
Democratic | Teresa Hensley | 38.90% | 884,354 | |
Total Votes | 2,273,550 | |||
Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
2012
- See also: Missouri attorney general election, 2012
Incumbent Chris Koster (D) won second term as attorney general on November 6, 2012.[15]
Attorney General of Missouri General Election, 2012 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | ![]() |
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 |
2024 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:
- City elections in Tallahassee, Florida (2024)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2024
- Virginia's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 18 Republican primary)
See also
Missouri | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Kansas City Star, "Trump hangs over the GOP race for Missouri attorney general. Will he endorse his lawyer?" May 24, 2024
- ↑ Andrew Bailey campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ Club for Growth, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Will Scharf in Missouri AG Race," April 13, 2023
- ↑ Fox News, "Texas AG Ken Paxton endorses Trump attorney in Missouri AG race: 'The right person'," June 6, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Associated Press, "Big GOP funders sending millions into Missouri’s attorney general primary," June 5, 2024
- ↑ Republican Attorney General Association, "News," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ The Hill, "Missouri AG says he’ll sue New York over ‘lawfare against President Trump’," June 21, 2024
- ↑ Spectrum Local News, "Missouri AG candidate Scharf's role grows on Trump legal team," December 22, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 LinkedIn, "Will Scharf," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Attorney General of Missouri, "About Attorney General Bailey," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ X, "Andrew Bailey," June 3, 2024
- ↑ Will Scharf campaign website, "About," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
- ↑ This analysis includes Missouri's 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis.
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "November 6, 2012 General Election Results," accessed November 7, 2012
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