2020 Missouri gubernatorial election


The 2020 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of Missouri, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Mike Parson ran for and was elected to a full term in office. Parson was elected as lieutenant governor in 2016 but became governor on June 1, 2018, after incumbent Eric Greitens resigned under threat of impeachment by the state legislature. Parson declared his bid for a full term on September 8, 2019. State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Missouri's only Democratic statewide officer and only female statewide officer, was the Democratic nominee and if elected, would have become Missouri's first female governor.
In October 2020, The Washington Post identified this state election as one of eight whose outcomes could affect partisan balance during post-census redistricting.
Despite most news agencies characterizing the race as only leaning Republican, Mike Parson went on to win the election by a landslide of 16.4%, widely outperforming all election polling as well as justifying the former swing state's trend towards the GOP. He even exceeded Donald Trump's statewide victory margin in the concurrent presidential election, which was actually greater than that in neighboring Kansas for the first time in 104 years. Galloway suffered the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Missouri since Betty Hearnes' 29-point loss in 1988. The 1988 election was also the last election until this one in which Missouri elected a Republican for governor by double digits.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

  • Rik Combs, U.S. Air Force veteran

Green Party

Nominee

  • Jerome Bauer

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Mike
Parson 		Nicole
Galloway 		Other /
Undecided
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutOctober 28–29, 20201,010 ± 3%50%44%5%
Cygnal October 18–20, 2020600 ± 4%48%42%10%
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutOctober 14–15, 20201,010 ± 3%51%43%6%
YouGovSeptember 24 – October 7, 2020931 ± 3.9%50%44%7%
Garin-Hart-Yang Research September 28 – October 2, 2020600 ± 4.1%50%48%–
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutSeptember 30 – October 1, 2020980 ± 3%51%44%5%
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutSeptember 16–17, 20201,046 ± 3%52%43%5%
We Ask AmericaSeptember 1–3, 2020500 ± 4.38%54%41%5%
Trafalgar Group August 26–28, 20201,015 ± 2.99%51%36%13%
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutAugust 12–13, 20201,112 ± 3.0%50%43%7%
Saint Louis UniversityJune 23 – July 1, 2020900 ± 4.0%41%39%20%
Garin-Hart-Yang/Missouri Scout June 16–22, 2020800 ± 3.5%47%40%–
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutJune 10–11, 20201,152 ± 2.9%50%41%9%
We Ask AmericaMay 26–27, 2020500 ± 4.4%47%39%15%
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutApril 28–29, 20201,356 ± 2.6%52%39%9%
Remington Research Group/Missouri ScoutMarch 11–12, 20201,241 –52%39%7%
American Viewpoint January 20–22, 20201,200 –54%36%7%
Human Agency/Missouri ScoutDecember 20–24, 2019415 ± 5%51%36%13%
Missouri Scout/Human Agency November 17–20, 2019400 ± 5.0%51%35%14%
Public Policy Polling November 14–15, 2019921 –45%36%19%
Missouri Scout/Human Agency October 18–20, 2019550 ± 4.0%50%34%16%
Remington/Missouri Scout October 9–10, 20191,451 ± 2.5%53%41%6%
Missouri Scout/Human Agency September 16–18, 2019825 ± 4.0%45%36%19%
Remington/Missouri Scout August 14–15, 2019855 ± 3.3%50%39%11%
Remington/Missouri Scout June 26–27, 2019960 ± 3.2%50%37%13%
Remington/Missouri Scout February 27, 2019893 ± 3.4%51%40%9%

Eric Greitens vs Nicole Galloway

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Eric
Greitens 		Nicole
Galloway 		Other /
Undecided
American Viewpoint January 20–22, 20201,200 –44%45%7%

Mike Parson vs Jason Kander

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Mike
Parson 		Jason
Kander 		Other /
Undecided
Remington/Missouri Scout February 27, 2019893 ± 3.4%51%36%13%

Mike Parson vs. Scott Sifton

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Mike
Parson 		Scott
Sifton 		Other /
Undecided
Remington/Missouri Scout February 27, 2019893 ± 3.4%52%32%16%

Results

By congressional district

Parson won six of eight congressional districts.
DistrictParsonGallowayRepresentative
19%78%Lacy Clay
19%78%Cori Bush
51%48%Ann Wagner
66%31%Blaine Luetkemeyer
66%31%Vicky Hartzler
40%57%Emanuel Cleaver
64%34%Sam Graves
70%27%Billy Long
76%22%Jason Smith