Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit Wednesday in an attempt to keep St. Louis County Executive Sam Page from filling the vacant county prosecutor seat.
Both Page, a Democrat, and Parson, a Republican, are claiming they have the power to pick the replacement for St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, who won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and will take office next year.
The day after the election, Page announced his office was searching for Bell's replacement. Two days later, Parson announced that his office had opened its own search for Bell's replacement. Bailey sent Page's office a letter stating that it was the governor's job to find the replacement.
Page's office countered that they are following the process that is laid out in the St. Louis County charter and is similar to the process used to find a replacement for former St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar, who also resigned in 2023.
On Wednesday, Bailey and Parson announced they had filed suit against Page to keep him from filling the seat, with Bailey claiming the Missouri Constitution gives Parson exclusive appointment authority.
“We thank Attorney General Bailey for seeking clarity on this issue and for fighting to improve public safety in the St. Louis region. We have expressed our intention to appoint the next St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney and remain confident in our legal authority to do so,” Parson said in a statement.
“Let me be clear that we want politics out of this process. Much like our appointment of Gabe Gore as the City of St. Louis Circuit Attorney, we intend to put politics aside and select the best person for the job who upholds law and order. Unfortunately, St. Louis County Charter requires a declaration of political party loyalty. Our constitutional authority has no such requirement, and this appointment is too consequential for the region and our entire state to have politics considered over qualifications.”
In a statement, Page's Chief Communications Officer Doug Moore said the "residents of St. Louis County should be treated like residents of every other charter county."
"Dr. Page is confident in our position and that our position will be affirmed by the courts," Moore said.
The full lawsuit can be viewed below:
