Andrew Bailey sworn in as Missouri’s new attorney general, touts combat experience

Andrew Bailey was sworn in Tuesday as Missouri’s new attorney general. He will fill the role previously held by Eric Schmitt, who was sworn in as a U.S. senator on the same day.

Bailey, 41, has never held elected office. During his swearing-in ceremony in Jefferson City, he said his background as an Army combat veteran in Iraq would guide him in the new role.

“This experience reaffirmed the value of training and the need to lead with authority — having training and the tools to be successful matters,” he said. “And I will lead this office with the same steady hand and unyielding pursuit of victory because we will defend our Constitution and represent the people of the state.”

Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who appointed Bailey to the position in late November, said Tuesday that Bailey would bring stability to the office — which has seen four attorneys general since 2017. Bailey previously served as Parson’s general counsel and was among five candidates considered for the job.

“I can’t think of a stronger candidate than what Andrew was,” Parson said Tuesday. “I trust him to make decisions for the people of this state.”

The attorney general position serves as Missouri’s top lawyer and is widely viewed as the second most powerful state-level position in the state behind governor. It has also been used as a political launching pad. Most recently, Sens. Schmitt and Josh Hawley both used the position as a pathway to higher office.

Schmitt, during his tenure, largely built his profile and reputation through a barrage of legal challenges against the federal government.

Bailey told reporters after the ceremony that his office was reviewing the state’s ongoing cases. He did not say whether he was considering any new lawsuits, but broadly vowed to push back against federal overreach.

Bailey has said he intends to run for a full term in 2024 when he will likely face several Republican primary challengers. His lack of political experience contrasts with Schmitt, who was an elected state senator and treasurer before Parson appointed him as attorney general.

Some lawmakers previously told The Star that they expect Bailey to remain in the position instead of immediately seeking higher office.

“I would be surprised if he made the jump that quickly,” Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, told The Star last month. “It’s hard to say anything definitively, but I do think he is excited about the chance to be the attorney general and not use the attorney general’s office for anything else.”

Before working in the governor’s office, Bailey was the general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections.

An Army veteran, Bailey served two combat deployments in Iraq. He was awarded two Army Achievement Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, a Combat Action Badge and two Bronze Star Medals, according to the attorney general’s office.

Bailey also worked as assistant prosecuting attorney in Warren County and as an assistant attorney general under former Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster.

While working as Parson’s general counsel, records revealed that Bailey helped draft talking points that Parson used to argue that St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist Josh Renaud should be prosecuted for uncovering a security flaw on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

Parson’s effort to prosecute the journalist was roundly criticized by free press advocates and the Cole County prosecutor declined to pursue charges against the journalist in February.

Asked in November whether he stood by the administration’s attack on the journalist, Bailey was noncommittal and said “the issue has been resolved and put to bed.” He went on to cite the state law that Parson’s office used to try to get the journalist prosecuted.

“I would discourage anyone from violating that statute,” he said.