Jay Nixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Nixon
Official portrait, 2008
55th Governor of Missouri
In office January 12, 2009 – January 9, 2017
Lieutenant	Peter Kinder
Preceded by	Matt Blunt
Succeeded by	Eric Greitens
40th Attorney General of Missouri
In office January 11, 1993 – January 12, 2009
Governor	Mel Carnahan Roger Wilson Bob Holden Matt Blunt
Preceded by	William L. Webster
Succeeded by	Chris Koster
Member of the Missouri Senate from the 22nd district
In office January 7, 1987 – January 11, 1993
Preceded by	Clifford W. "Jack" Gannon
Succeeded by	William McKenna
Personal details
Born	Jeremiah Wilson Nixon (1956-02-13) February 13, 1956 (age 69) De Soto, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Georganne Wheeler
Children	2
Education	University of Missouri (BA, JD)
Signature

Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (born February 13, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 55th governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. Before that, he was the 40th Missouri Attorney General from 1993 to 2009. He also served as a Missouri state senator from 1987 to 1993. Jay Nixon is a member of the Democratic Party.

Nixon grew up in De Soto, Missouri. He went to the University of Missouri and studied political science. He started his political career at age 30 when he was elected to the Missouri Senate. After trying to become a U.S. Senator, he was elected Missouri Attorney General in 1992. He was reelected three more times, serving for a total of four terms. This was the longest time anyone had been attorney general in Missouri's history.

In 2008, Nixon was elected governor. He won by a large amount against Republican Kenny Hulshof. He was reelected in 2012. He could not run for governor again in 2016 because of term limits. Eric Greitens took over as governor. As of 2024, Jay Nixon is the most recent Democrat to be the governor of Missouri. After leaving public office, he joined a law firm in St. Louis.

Early Life and School

Jay Nixon was born and grew up in De Soto, Missouri. His mother, Betty Lea Nixon, was a teacher and led the local school board. His father, Jeremiah "Jerry" Nixon, was the mayor of De Soto.

Nixon went to the University of Missouri. He earned a degree in political science. He worked in construction jobs before getting his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law.

Serving in the State Legislature

Nixon's portrait during his time in the state legislature

In 1986, Jay Nixon decided to run for the Missouri Senate. He ran for a district in Jefferson County. He won the election and became a state senator on January 7, 1987.

Soon after, Nixon introduced his first bill. It would help schools buy satellite dishes for better broadcasts. He was recognized as an excellent lawmaker that same year.

In 1987, Nixon thought about running for the United States Senate. He announced his plan on October 6. However, he lost the election to John Danforth.

In 1989, Nixon worked on a bill to give pregnant workers maternity leave. The bill did not pass at first. He tried again in 1990, and it passed the Senate. But Governor John Ashcroft stopped it with a veto. Nixon was reelected as a state senator in 1990.

Missouri Attorney General

In 1991, Nixon announced he would run for state Attorney General. He won the election against Republican David Steelman.

As Attorney General, Nixon created a special team. This team, called the Environmental Protection Division, worked to protect Missouri's environment. They took legal action to stop pollution of the state's air, water, and soil. Their work helped clean up polluted areas and brought money to the state. Nixon's strong actions as Attorney General earned him national attention. He was named one of the top young lawyers in the country.

In 1998, Nixon ran for the U.S. Senate again. He lost to Kit Bond.

During his time as Attorney General, Nixon also worked on ending mandatory school busing in St. Louis and Kansas City. He believed these programs were too expensive for the state.

In 2000, Nixon helped make sure that Missouri's rules about how much money people could give to political campaigns were put back in place. He argued this case to the United States Supreme Court and won.

In 2003, Nixon sued companies that made unwanted telemarketing calls to Missouri residents. One company, Xentel, was ordered to pay money to the state. They later settled the lawsuit in 2008.

Governor of Missouri

Running for Governor in 2008

Nixon campaigning in 2008

In 2005, Nixon started planning his campaign for governor. In 2008, the current governor, Matt Blunt, decided not to run again. Nixon won the Democratic nomination. He then won the election on November 4, beating Kenny Hulshof by a large amount.

First Term (2009–2013)

Nixon became governor on January 12, 2009. He took office during a tough economic time, known as the Great Recession. He focused on creating jobs, helping schools, and making the state's economy stronger. He also worked to keep the state budget balanced.

In 2009, Nixon suggested keeping funding for public universities the same. This was if the schools did not raise their tuition fees. He also helped make sure college tuition did not increase for students at public colleges four times.

In July 2009, Nixon visited U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait. He also traveled to Germany before returning to Missouri.

Nixon was known for cutting state spending. He made many reductions to the budget. In 2011, he was praised for how he handled the EF-5 tornado that hit Joplin. People called him a "commander of disasters" for his quick actions.

To help the state's car manufacturing industry, Nixon created a special task force. In 2011, he helped pass a law to support manufacturing jobs. This led to big investments from Ford and General Motors in their Missouri plants. These investments created many new jobs.

Second Term (2013–2017)

Nixon was reelected in 2012. He started his second term on January 14, 2013. He talked about Missouri's history and encouraged people to work together. In 2013, he helped start "Social Media Giving Day." This day encouraged people to support charities using social media.

Nixon watches a Missouri Tigers volleyball game at the Hearnes Center, 2013.

Nixon's second term included a difficult time after the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August 2014. This event led to protests and unrest. Nixon declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard to help bring peace.

After the death of State Auditor Tom Schweich, Nixon appointed Nicole Galloway to fill the position in 2015.

In 2016, the director of the Missouri State Public Defender System asked Nixon to act as a public defender in a criminal case. This was because the public defender system was underfunded and had too many cases. The director said Nixon, as governor, was in a unique position to help solve the problem.

From November 2015 to November 2016, Missouri added many new jobs. This was more than all of its eight neighboring states.

Nixon visiting an elementary school in 2014

After Being Governor

Nixon left office on January 9, 2017. He was the first Missouri governor to serve two full terms since John Ashcroft in 1993. After he left office, Jay Nixon State Park was opened in eastern Missouri.

In 2022, some people thought Nixon might run for the U.S. Senate again. But he decided not to.

Personal Life

After leaving office, Nixon moved to University City, Missouri with his wife, Georganne. They have two adult sons named Jeremiah and Will. Nixon is a Methodist.

Electoral History

As Governor

As Attorney General

U.S. Senate Elections

Images for kids

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  Official portrait, 2008

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  Jay Nixon's signature

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  Nixon's portrait, 1993

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  Nixon speaking to President Barack Obama in 2012

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  Georganne and Jay Nixon in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Jay Nixon para niños