Mike Parson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Parson
Official portrait, 2021
57th Governor of Missouri
In office June 1, 2018 – January 13, 2025
Lieutenant	Mike Kehoe
Preceded by	Eric Greitens
Succeeded by	Mike Kehoe
47th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
In office January 9, 2017 – June 1, 2018
Governor	Eric Greitens
Preceded by	Peter Kinder
Succeeded by	Mike Kehoe
Member of the Missouri Senate from the 28th district
In office January 5, 2011 – January 4, 2017
Preceded by	Delbert Scott
Succeeded by	Sandy Crawford
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 133rd district
In office January 5, 2005 – January 5, 2011
Preceded by	Ronnie Miller
Succeeded by	Sue Entlicher
Sheriff of Polk County
In office 1993–2004
Preceded by	Charles Simmons
Succeeded by	Steven Bruce
Personal details
Born	Michael Lynn Parson (1955-09-17) September 17, 1955 (age 69) Wheatland, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Teresa Parson ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	2
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1975–1981
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Military Police Corps

Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician. He served as the 57th governor of Missouri from 2018 to 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party. Parson became governor after Eric Greitens resigned. Before that, he was the lieutenant governor from 2017 to 2018. Parson finished Greitens's term. He was then elected governor in his own right in 2020.

Parson served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. He was also in the Missouri Senate from 2011 to 2017. He became lieutenant governor in 2016. As governor, he managed the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also made changes to mail-in voting rules.

Early Life and Career

Michael Lynn Parson was born on September 17, 1955. He grew up on a farm in Hickory County. He finished high school in Wheatland, Missouri in 1973.

Parson joined the United States Army in 1975. He served for six years in the Military Police Corps. He left the Army in 1981 as a sergeant. After the Army, he worked as a sheriff's deputy in Hickory County. In 1983, he became the first criminal investigator for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. He was the Polk County sheriff from 1993 to 2004.

In 1984, Parson bought a gas station. He eventually owned three gas stations in the area.

Political Career

Missouri General Assembly

Parson in 2012

Parson was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2004. He represented the 133rd District. He was reelected in 2006 and 2008. During his time in the House, he led the House Rules Committee.

In 2010, Parson was elected to the Missouri Senate. He served as the Senate majority whip. He was reelected in 2014 without any opponents.

Lieutenant Governor of Missouri

Parson decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2016. He won the Republican primary election. Then, he defeated Russ Carnahan in the general election on November 8, 2016.

Parson was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 9, 2017. He worked to improve his office. He also accepted some gifts from lobbyists, which was allowed. His office stated that his budget was smaller than other statewide officials.

In 2017, Parson's office looked into concerns about care at the Missouri Veterans Home in St. Louis.

Housing Programs

In December 2017, Parson voted to keep a state tax credit. This credit helped developers build housing for people with lower incomes. Some people, including then-Governor Greitens, had concerns about this program. Parson and state treasurer Eric Schmitt were the only members who voted to keep the tax credit.

Governor of Missouri

Parson being sworn in as Governor of Missouri in 2018 by Mary Rhodes Russell alongside his wife Teresa

On June 1, 2018, Eric Greitens resigned as governor. Parson was sworn in as governor shortly after.

Parson supported Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. He helped Trump's reelection campaign in Missouri.

2020 Election

Parson at a press conference in 2019

Parson ran for his first full term as governor in 2020. He said he did not plan to run for another term in 2024.

He won the Republican primary election on August 4, 2020. He then defeated Democratic nominee Nicole Galloway in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Appointments

In June 2018, Parson appointed Missouri Senate Majority Leader Mike Kehoe as lieutenant governor. This appointment was challenged in court. In 2019, the Missouri Supreme Court decided that Parson had the legal right to make the appointment.

Parson appointed Robin Ransom to the Supreme Court of Missouri. She was the first African-American woman to serve on that court.

Budget

Parson made many changes to the state's budget in 2024. He cut over $555 million from the budget. Lawmakers agreed to these cuts.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Parson wearing a face mask in October 2020

In March 2020, Parson announced the first cases of COVID-19 in Missouri. He said the state received federal aid to fight the virus. He declared a state of emergency, which released funds. He let school districts decide whether to close schools.

Parson issued a statewide stay-at-home order on April 3, 2020. This order took effect three days later. It was later extended. After the order ended, he let counties handle social distancing rules.

Parson (far right) at the White House in July 2020 with Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump during an event encouraging school re-opening

In July 2020, Parson supported reopening schools. He believed children were at low risk from the virus. He also did not support requiring people to wear face masks.

On September 23, 2020, Parson and his wife, Teresa, both tested positive for COVID-19. They both had mild symptoms and recovered.

Parson receiving his COVID-19 vaccine in February 2021

In January 2021, Parson called on the Missouri National Guard to help with vaccination efforts. In February 2021, Missouri was ranked low in vaccine distribution. Parson said vaccine supply was limited.

In June 2021, Parson signed a bill that limited local leaders' power to make public health orders. This law also banned "COVID-19 passports."

In July 2021, Parson started a Vaccine Incentive Program. This program gave Missourians a chance to win money if they got vaccinated.

Death Penalty

As governor, Parson did not grant clemency in death penalty cases. Clemency is when a governor reduces a sentence or pardons someone.

In April 2024, Parson denied clemency to Brian Dorsey. Dorsey was executed by lethal injection. Many people, including prison workers, had asked Parson to change Dorsey's sentence.

In September 2024, Parson ended an investigation into whether Marcellus Williams was innocent. Williams was executed on September 24, 2024.

Gun Law

On June 14, 2021, Parson signed a bill about gun laws. This law aimed to stop local police from enforcing some federal gun rules. The U.S. Department of Justice said the law went against federal rules. Some cities in Missouri also sued the state to block the law. In March 2023, a federal judge found the state law unconstitutional.

Parson signing a bill in 2019

Low-Income Housing

After Greitens resigned, Parson initially said he would not restart the low-income tax credit. However, in May 2019, Parson announced his plan to restart the program.

Medicaid Expansion

Parson did not support the 2020 Missouri vote on Medicaid expansion. This expansion would provide healthcare coverage to more people. He worried about how it would affect the state budget. However, he promised to follow the voters' decision. In August 2020, Missouri voters approved the expansion.

In May 2021, Parson said he would deny the expansion. He again mentioned funding concerns. The issue went to court. In July 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the expansion was legal. This allowed the expansion to move forward.

Operation Lone Star

In February 2024, Parson sent 200 National Guard members and 22 Highway Patrol troopers to Texas's southern border. This was part of Operation Lone Star. He also asked for $2.3 million to support border security.

In June 2024, Parson vetoed some funds for Operation Lone Star. He reduced the state's budget for it to $2 million.

Pardons

Between 2020 and 2024, Parson granted clemency to over 760 people. This was the most for any Missouri governor since the 1940s. He started issuing pardons monthly after his 2020 election.

In July 2020, Parson said he would pardon a couple who pointed guns at people walking past their home. In August 2021, he pardoned them after they pleaded guilty to minor charges.

Personal Life

Mike and Teresa Parson in 2020

Parson married his wife, Teresa, in 1985. They have two children. While Parson was governor, they lived at the Missouri Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. Their personal home is in Bolivar.

Parson is a third-generation farmer. He started a cow and calf farm near Bolivar in 1985. He still owns and runs this farm. Parson is a Baptist.

Electoral History

State Representative

• Unopposed for the primary and general elections in District 133 in 2006 and 2008.

State Senator

• Unopposed for the 28th District seat in 2014

Lieutenant Governor

Governor

See also

In Spanish: Mike Parson para niños