The 1992 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1992 and resulted in a victory for the
Democratic nominee,
Lt. Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A Democrat, he was elected posthumously to the ...
, over the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate,
Missouri Attorney General
The Office of the Missouri Attorney General was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory. Missouri's first Constitution in 1820 provided for an appointed attorney general, but since the 1865 Constitution, the Attorney Gene ...
William L. Webster
William Lawrence Webster (born September 17, 1953) is an American lawyer, former politician and convicted felon from Missouri. He served in the Missouri House of Representatives and later as the 39th Missouri Attorney General, Attorney General o ...
, and
Libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
Joan Dow. Carnahan had defeated St. Louis mayor
Vincent C. Schoemehl for the Democratic nomination, while Webster had defeated Secretary of State
Roy Blunt
Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator for Missouri, a seat he was first elected to in 2010. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Sec ...
and Treasurer
Wendell Bailey
Robert Wendell Bailey (born July 30, 1940) is an American politician from Missouri. He graduated from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in Business Administration and owned an automobile dealership in Willow Springs.
After servi ...
for the Republican nomination.
Democratic Primary
Candidates
*
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene Carnahan (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A Democrat, he was elected posthumously to the ...
, Incumbent Lt. Governor, former State Treasurer, candidate for Governor in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
* Anthony Cox
* Elmer Dapron
* Cedric Hawkins
* Mary Johnson
* Sharon Rogers
*
Vincent Shoemehl, Mayor of St. Louis since 1981
Since 1988, Carnahan and Schoemehl were pegged as top contenders for the Governor's race.The two each brought with them, a unique dynamic which shaped the race. Carnahan, the state's lone statewide elected Democrat, was the older, more establishment friendly candidate. In contrast Shoemehl was a younger and charismatic candidate.
This personal dynamic would underscore much of the conflict between the two candidates. Schoemehl attacked Carnahan as an out of touch politician from the past, and Carnahan would respond with attacks of Schoemehl as a big city politician who would never garner statewide support.
These charges became relevant when Schoemehl referred to him as "some redneck from
Rolla", attacks which Carnahan claimed reflected how his opponent truly viewed rural Missourians. This incident would be used part of a larger attack on Schoemehl and his tendency for offensive outbursts.
In terms of issues, education funding was central to the campaign. Carnahan favored a plan of a $200 million tax increase for education funding, but Schoemehl favored cutting back on state bureaucracy to raise funds.
Another issue which had some salience was abortion. Schoemehl had been personally opposed to abortion, in contrast to Carnahan who was unequivocally pro-choice.
Carnahan had led in most polls, but at the end, the race was close, and Schoemehl had an advantage in fundraising.
In the end, Carnahan won handily against Schoemehl and token opposition, sweeping all but one county.
Schoemehl would concede and offered his support to the Lt. Governor.
Republican Primary
Candidates
*
Wendell Bailey
Robert Wendell Bailey (born July 30, 1940) is an American politician from Missouri. He graduated from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in Business Administration and owned an automobile dealership in Willow Springs.
After servi ...
, Incumbent State Treasurer since 1985
*
Roy Blunt
Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator for Missouri, a seat he was first elected to in 2010. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Sec ...
, Incumbent Secretary of State since 1985
* Fred Salmon
* Dwight Watts
*
William Webster, Incumbent Attorney General since 1985
At the start of the primary, it seemed to be a fair bet that one of the major candidates would emerge to become the next governor. Webster was the leading candidate, but Blunt's base in conservative southwest Missouri and Bailey's personable nature meant they were all formidable candidates. However, owing to this competitive nature, the primary was marred by the foibles of each candidate. For example, Bailey was detained by the FBI for carrying a pistol in an airport, an incident which was seen as derailing to his campaign.
Among the frontrunners Blunt and Webster, word would soon emerge of Webster's involvement in a corruption scandal involving the Second Injury Fund, a state workers compensation program. The investigation, originally started in the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-Dem ...
, showed among other things, lawyers who contributed to Webster's campaign received larger settlements. The investigation would eventually expand to an investigation by a federal grand jury. Webster would attack an opponent, possibly Blunt, for leaking the story to the press that he was being investigated by a grand jury.
The scandal would become central to Blunt's campaign, who hired
Roger Ailes
Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican ...
to make an ad featuring wealthy businessmen on a merry go round, drawing attention to the scandal.
However, Webster responded with an attack on Blunt for supposedly printing the official state manual of Missouri in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
The primary was not completely about personalities. One issue which became a focal point was abortion. Blunt was anti-abortion, as was Webster, who argued
a case before the Supreme Court upholding Missouri's abortion restrictions. Bailey, however was pro-choice, distinguishing him from the rest of the field.
In the end, Webster would win the primary by a narrow margin.
Results
Despite the fact that Webster had wide recognition serving as the
Attorney General of Missouri
The Office of the Missouri Attorney General was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory. Missouri's first Constitution in 1820 provided for an appointed attorney general, but since the 1865 Constitution, the Attorney Gen ...
, he was handily defeated in a 17% margin of victory for Carnahan. Carnahan won the typically
Democratic strongholds such as
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
and
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
, but also performed surprisingly well in most of rural
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. A factor in this was the issue of abortion, an issue which Webster found himself at a disadvantage owing to shifting support for pro-choice policies. Carnahan's victory was likely aided in
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's concurrent win in Missouri in the 1992 presidential election. Webster conceded defeat soon after the polls closed. This was a Democratic flip in the 1992 election cycle. Webster would be tried and convicted for his role in the Second Injury Fund scandal.
References
{{United States elections, 1992
Gubernatorial
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
1992 in Missouri
November 1992 events
November 1992 events in North America
November 1992 events in the United States