Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe picked former U.S. Attorney and Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway to serve as attorney general.
It’s another groundbreaking moment for Hanaway, who will be the first woman to serve in the statewide office.
Less than 24 hours after Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he was resigning to become co-deputy director at the FBI, Kehoe told reporters in Jefferson City on Tuesday he was selecting Hanaway to fill out more than three years of the GOP statewide official’s term.
“The first and most important part of this job is to protect Missourians from anyone who would do violence against them, who would rip them off in financial schemes, who would abuse them through providing terrible care and getting paid by Medicaid, and anyone who would try to invade their constitutional rights,” Hanaway said in a press conference in Jefferson City.
Hanaway, 61, most recently worked as a partner at Husch Blackwell – eventually getting elected chair of the prominent St. Louis law firm. She previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District from 2005 through 2009, and as a state representative from 1998 through 2005.
In 2003, Hanaway became the first and only woman to serve as speaker of the Missouri House.
“I promise to you that as AG, I will work as hard as I can. I will be innovative. I will adapt to changing times. But more than anything else, I'll show Missourians just how much I care,” Hanaway said.
Kehoe praised Hanaway as a groundbreaking politician who would be ready to serve when she gets sworn in as attorney general on Sept. 8.
“Catherine is a talented, trusted prosecutor who has a passion for enforcing the rule of law,” Kehoe said.
A trailblazing career
By her own admission, Hanaway always had a fascination with politics. During a 2014 episode of Politically Speaking, she joked that she “got into politics sort of by genetic disorder, the one that makes me volunteer to do things going all the way back to being the president of my 4H Club in high school.”
Hanaway grew up in Nebraska and Iowa, and eventually came to Missouri to practice securities law. She eventually became a staffer for then-U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, who Hanaway said during her 2014 interview taught her to “play it straight no matter what.”
“And that meant living well within the ethical rules of being in government, but also telling people really what you stand for, and not trying to sort of nuance all the answers,” Hanaway said. “Which at times, for those of us on his staff, was a little bit frustrating. Because if the answer was no, he would tell people no.”
Hanaway won a seat in the Missouri House in 1998, representing a part of central St. Louis County. She eventually was selected by her GOP peers to be minority leader – and, after Republicans captured control of the House in 2002, became speaker.
Many Republicans, including former state Rep. Rod Jetton, credit Hanaway with giving the GOP control of the General Assembly’s lower chamber for the first time in nearly five decades.
“I can't think of anyone who is as well qualified for the job!” Jetton told St. Louis Public Radio in a text message. “She has a collaborative leadership style that builds consensus and cooperation. She is also fearless and not afraid to take on any issue that needs handled. Catherine is principled, determined, and dependable.”
U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, a close ally of Hanaway from her days working in St. Louis County politics, said in a statement that the Warson Woods resident "has the experience, temperament and management skills to lead Missouri's law enforcement office as Attorney General.”
“Having worked closely with Catherine for decades, I am proud to call her a close friend and someone who will always do what is right for Missouri, for the people she will represent, and to the Constitution she has sworn to uphold and protect,” Wagner said.
As speaker, Hanaway often clashed with then-Democratic Gov. Bob Holden – particularly on tax-related policy. Holden often blocked aspects of the GOP-controlled legislature’s agenda, though both Hanaway and then-Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder were able to override some of his vetoes.
Former Democratic state Sen. Ryan McKenna served with Hanaway when he was a member of the House. Even though they disagreed on issues, the Jefferson County native said he respected her.
“Catherine and I were elected in the same freshman class in 1998. Republicans were still in the minority at that time. We both had a very nice friendship with each other and still do today,” McKenna said. “When Republicans gained the majority four years later and she was elected Speaker of the House, I always found Catherine to be strong willed, fair and always willing to listen to concerns that I’ve had.
“As the first woman speaker and now first woman attorney general in Missouri, I can’t help but feel really proud of her and the doors she keeps opening for women,” he added.
Statewide struggles lead to U.S. Attorney’s office
Hanaway’s first statewide office bid was in 2004, when she lost to Democrat Robin Carnahan for secretary of state.
She said in 2014 that she learned a lot from the campaign, including that it would be a much bigger challenge to defeat Carnahan – the daughter of former Gov. Mel Carnahan.
“I honestly think I worked a little too hard and not smart enough in that campaign, which is a very honest assessment,” Hanaway said. “Anywhere two or more were gathered, I was there. And I think I need to focus more on population centers.”
Despite that political setback, she was back in the public eye relatively quickly when then-President George W. Bush appointed her as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
During her tenure, Hanaway took on a number of high-profile cases – including helping prosecute and convict sex offender Michael Devlin in the Shawn Hornbeck case. She also oversaw efforts to curb drug dealing and white collar crime.
Hanaway left the U.S. Attorney’s office in 2009, but eventually came back onto the political scene in the mid-2010s to run for governor. She proved adept at raising money and tried to showcase her experience as U.S. Attorney to show how she’d be tough on crime. But she came in last place in a highly competitive GOP primary behind Kinder, businessman John Brunner and eventual winner Eric Greitens.
After 2016, Hanaway spent most of her time out of the public eye working at Husch Blackwell. But she did reemerge from time to time in high profile ways, including representing Greitens’ candidate campaign committee and his politically-active nonprofit when the GOP governor was facing a torrent of political and legal issues.
She was also the lead counsel for the Grain Belt Express, a planned transmission line to deliver wind power throughout the Midwest. Both Bailey and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley were strong opponents of that project, contending it violated property rights of farmers.
Hanaway said Tuesday she plans to recuse herself from that case.
The long term impact
Kehoe’s decision to pick Hanaway could have significant ramifications for the future of Missouri politics.
That’s because the Missouri attorney general’s office is often a springboard to higher electoral posts. Missouri’s two U.S. Senators – Hawley and Eric Schmitt – served in that role before pursuing federal office. Democrats like Jay Nixon and Thomas Eagleton served as attorney general before they were elected governor and U.S. Senator, respectively.
“My game plan is to serve the next three years, and then if Missourians will vote for me and believe I earn a full term, then I'd like to serve a full term,” Hanaway said.
University of Missouri-St. Louis political science professor Anita Manion said another major storyline will be whether Hanaway can adjust to a political world that President Donald Trump dominates.
“It will be interesting to see if she takes the tactic as her predecessors, of bringing these fiery national lawsuits and even lawsuits against Democrats in the state, like Andrew Bailey did,” Manion said. “So I think it'll be interesting to see if she might have, if not in policy, but in tone, a more conciliatory approach.”
Manion was referring to how Bailey sought to oust St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. More recently, he led the indictment of St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and the effort to oust St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery.
St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Days, a Bel Nor Democrat who served with Hanaway in the Missouri House, said she expects Hanaway to be fair on Bailey’s pending cases and take the job as attorney general seriously.
“Because at the end of the day, she may decide to run for Attorney General [in 2028],” Days said. “It’s going to be important that she's viewed as following the law, following the letter of the law, and making sure she has good instincts.”
House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said in a statement that her caucus will be closely watching how Hanaway navigates a political tightrope between running an important office and dealing with current realities of politics.
“One question is which Catherine Hanaway will we get as attorney general: The one who served capably and honorably as House speaker and U.S. attorney, or the one who intensely fought to help Eric Greitens cling to power while facing impeachment,” Aune said. “But unless she proves us wrong, House Democrats believe she can restore integrity to the office.”
