Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (born February 13, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the
55th Governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, he was first elected to the governorship in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and reelected in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. Prior to his tenure as Missouri Governor, he served as the
40th 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 ...
from 1993 to 2009. After leaving public office he joined the Dowd Bennett law firm in
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 ...
. As of 2022, he is the most recent Democrat to serve as the Governor of Missouri.
Early life
Nixon was born and raised in
De Soto, Missouri
De Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,449 at the 2020 census and the city is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Van Metre family were first to settle in 1803. The town was organized in 185 ...
. His mother, Betty Lea Nixon (née Wilson), was a teacher and president of the local school board, and his father, Jeremiah "Jerry" Nixon, served as the city's mayor. One of his three paternal great-grandfathers,
Abraham Jonas, was an early Jewish settler in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and friend of former President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
(one of Nixon's paternal great-grandmothers was Jewish, though Nixon is Methodist). His great-great-grandfather Charles Henry Jonas was the brother of Democratic U.S. Senator
Benjamin F. Jonas of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
and another, James Oscar Nixon, was a brother of U.S. Representative
John Thompson Nixon
John Thompson Nixon (August 31, 1820 – September 28, 1889) was a United States representative from New Jersey and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Nixon was nominated by Presid ...
of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Another paternal ancestor,
John Inskeep
John Inskeep (January 29, 1757 – December 18, 1834) was a mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving twice, from 1800 to 1801 and from 1805 to 1806.
He was born on his family's homestead near the Marlton section of Evesham Township, New Jer ...
, served as
Mayor of Philadelphia
The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney.
History
The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...
(from 1800—1801 and 1805—1806).
Missouri State Senate (1987–1993)
In 1986, after a period of private practice in his hometown, Jay Nixon was elected to the
Missouri Senate
The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...
from a district in
Jefferson County, serving for two terms from 1987 to 1993.
Missouri Attorney General (1993–2009)
Accomplishments
As the state's Attorney General, Nixon created the Environmental Protection Division to enforce Missouri's environmental laws. Attorneys in this division take legal action to stop the
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
of the state's air, water and soil and to look after Missouri's agricultural interests. Successful litigation by the division has resulted in the cleanup of polluted sites and millions of dollars awarded to the state. His aggressive actions in the Attorney General's Office earned him national recognition. Barrister magazine named him one of the 20 outstanding young lawyers in the nation, and the
Missouri Jaycees selected him one of Ten Outstanding Young Missourians. Prior to becoming Attorney General, he was recognized by the Conservation Federation of Missouri for his environmental work as a state senator.
In 2013, he joined with nine mayors to establish July 15 as
Social Media Giving Day, encouraging citizens to support charities via social media.
Controversies
Jay Nixon has overseen the state's involvement in the court settlements that ended mandatory urban
busing in
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 ...
's public schools.
The
Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) issued a report titled "The Modern Militia Movement" on February 20, 2009, informing the
Missouri State Highway Patrol
The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) is the highway patrol agency for Missouri and has jurisdiction all across the state. It is a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Colonel Eric T. Olson has been serving as the 24th supe ...
of several groups of people who could possibly be linked to domestic
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
groups. According to the report, these groups included white Christians, supporters of third-party presidential candidates
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...
,
Bob Barr
Robert Laurence Barr Jr. (born November 5, 1948) is an American attorney and politician. He served as a federal prosecutor and as a United States House of Representatives, Congressman. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Re ...
, and
Chuck Baldwin
Charles Obadiah Baldwin (born May 3, 1952) is an American right-wing politician, radio host, and founder-former pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. As of January 2011 he was pastor of Liberty Fellowship in Kalispell, Montan ...
, as well as opponents of
gun control
Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians.
Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...
,
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
,
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
, the
Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...
, and the
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...
. Following a joint letter from Paul, Barr, and Baldwin condemning the report, Nixon and the MIAC issued an apology concerning the report and stated that it will no longer be displayed on any official state websites.
Governor of Missouri (2009–2017)
Elections
2008 election
Governor
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American former naval officer and politician who served as the List of governors of Missouri, 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in ...
announced on January 22, 2008 that he would not seek a second term. By the filing deadline on March 25, 2008, three Democratic and five Republican candidates had filed. Nixon won the nomination and the election.
2012 election
Nixon defeated Republican Dave Spence to win a second term in 2012, running on a platform of fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship.
Tenure
Appointments
Following the death of
Tom Schweich
Thomas A. Schweich (October 2, 1960 – February 26, 2015) was an American politician, diplomat, attorney, and author. A member of the Republican Party, Schweich served as State Auditor of Missouri from 2011 until his death in 2015.
Prior to bei ...
, Gov. Nixon appointed
Boone County Treasurer
Nicole Galloway
Nicole Marie Galloway (née Rogge; born June 13, 1982) is an American accountant and politician who served as the State Auditor of Missouri between 2015 and 2023. She was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri in the 2020 election, lo ...
to the post of
Missouri State Auditor in 2015. Galloway later won a full term as state auditor in the
2018 general election. As of 2022, she remains the only Democrat elected to a statewide Missouri office.
Budget
Throughout his time in office, Nixon made budget restrictions to account for lower-than-expected revenues, or statutory changes affecting the budget. Upon taking office, Nixon "began cutting spending almost immediately and has made repeated reductions to the budgets passed by the Legislature in subsequent years."
In 2010, Nixon was called the state's budget "cutter-in-chief" by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
for his efforts to reduce spending and right-size state government.
Some of Nixon's budget restrictions drew criticism and in 2011 Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich filed suit arguing that Nixon lacked the constitutional authority to restrict spending. Schweich's lawsuit was dismissed by the
Missouri Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give ...
in 2013 but the following year the Missouri General Assembly passed and voters approved Amendment 10, granting legislators the ability to overrule a governor's budget restrictions.
Economy
![Jay Nixon at the Missouri AFL-CIO State Convention](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Jay_Nixon_at_the_Missouri_AFL-CIO_State_Convention.jpg)
After taking office during the Great Recession, Nixon focused on creating jobs, investing in education and strengthening the state's economy while keeping the budget in balance.
From November 2015 to November 2016, Missouri added 57,100 jobs, more than all eight of its neighboring states.
Aiming to revitalize the state's automotive manufacturing industry, Nixon created an Automotive Jobs Task Force and in 2011 called a special session of the General Assembly to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. On October 21, 2011 Ford confirmed that it would make a $1.1 billion investment in its Kansas City Assembly Plant and add 1,600 jobs at the facility. On November 4, 2011 General Motors announced plans for a $380 million investment in its Wentzville plant outside St. Louis.
The ''
St. Louis Post Dispatch
The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, serving the Greater St. Louis, St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpass ...
'' editorialized that "key to both Ford and GM agreeing to expand in the state were incentives championed in last year's Legislative special session by Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, and the then-leaders of the House and Senate, Ron Richard and Charlie Shields, both Republicans."
Education
![Governor Jay Nixon Speaks at Town Hall PTA Meeting](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Governor_Jay_Nixon_Speaks_at_Town_Hall_PTA_Meeting.jpg)
During his eight years in office, Nixon negotiated four tuition freezes for students at public higher education institutions.
Disaster response
Nixon drew praise for his handling of natural disasters, including the state's response to the
EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011. The Associated Press in 2011 called him "a ubiquitous commander of disasters."
Public Defender System funding crisis
On August 2, 2016, Michael Barrett, director of the
Missouri State Public Defender System, called on Nixon to act as a public defender in a criminal assault case. Nixon's communications director, Scott Holste, questioned the authority of Barrett to do so. The appointment followed a July 2016 legal action in which Barrett et al. challenged the constitutionality of restricting funds for indigent defense.
In an open letter to Nixon, Barrett cited Missouri Revised Statues Section 600.042.5(1) as well as the
6th and
14th amendments to the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...
as reasons for the controversial action. Barrett blamed Nixon for the underfunding and understaffing of the public defender system and chose to appoint him because he was "the one attorney in the state who not only created the problem, but is in a unique position to address it."
According to Barrett, the funding for "resources that assist with delivering legal services" had increased between 5 and 6% since 2009, while costs over the same period had increased 18%. The case load had increased over 12% in the past year. According to a 2008 report by the
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) is the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoted to advocating equal justice for all Americans and was established in 1911.
History
The Fourteenth Amendment ...
, Missouri ranks 49th in per capita legal aid spending.
Ruth Petsch, Jackson County Missouri's chief public defender, cited the lack of funding for inadequate defense and 9 to 12 month delays in adjudication for indigent persons who often remain in jail and are unable to maintain active employment during that time.
Shooting of Michael Brown and Ferguson unrest
Gov. Nixon first turned over control of the town to the
Missouri State Highway Patrol
The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) is the highway patrol agency for Missouri and has jurisdiction all across the state. It is a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Colonel Eric T. Olson has been serving as the 24th supe ...
and later declared a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
and implemented nightly
curfew
A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...
s, later calling in the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
to help restore peace and order. The unrest continued on November 24, 2014 after the police officer who shot
Michael Brown was not indicted by a
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
.
After politics
From April 15–19, 2019 Nixon served as a visiting Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. The school grew out of the Harvard-MIT School for Health Officers, the nation's first ...
.
Nixon represents televangelist
Jim Bakker
James Orsen Bakker (; born January 2, 1940) is an American televangelist and convicted fraudster. Between 1974 and 1987, Bakker hosted the television program '' The PTL Club'' and its cable television platform, the PTL Satellite Network, with ...
in his lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General
Eric Schmitt
Eric Stephen Schmitt (born June 20, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Schmitt served as a Missouri state senator from 2009 to 2017, ...
for allegedly selling false cures for
the 2019-20 strains of coronavirus.
Personal life
![Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Missouri_Governor_Jay_Nixon_and_First_Lady_Georganne_Nixon.jpg)
After leaving office Nixon moved to
University City, Missouri
University City (colloquially, U. City) is an inner-ring suburb of the city of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was measured at 35,065 by the 2020 United States Census, 2020 c ...
with his wife Georganne. The couple have two adult sons, Jeremiah and Will, both named after their father. Nixon is a
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
.
Electoral history
As Governor
As Attorney General
U.S. Senate elections
References
External links
*
Attorney General website
Governor website
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nixon, Jay
1956 births
21st-century American politicians
Methodists from Missouri
American people of English-Jewish descent
Democratic Party governors of Missouri
Living people
Missouri Attorneys General
Democratic Party Missouri state senators
People from De Soto, Missouri
University of Missouri alumni