Gov. Mike Kehoe has withdrawn his selections for the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners ahead of a special legislative session beginning Wednesday.
The move is procedural. Gubernatorial appointees are required by law to be considered within 30 days of when the Senate is gaveled in. A spokesperson for the governor said Kehoe pulled back on dozens of interim appointments so that lawmakers can focus the special session on redrawing Missouri’s congressional map and revising the constitutional amendment process. Rescinding the appointments now allows the confirmation hearings to happen at a later time.
The spokesperson added that Kehoe will address appointments to boards and commissions at the conclusion of the special session.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement in response to the board withdrawals that underscored Chief Robert Tracy’s continued role in overseeing daily operations for the department. Transition Director Derek Winters will also continue providing governance of the department.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said: "This unusual situation raises a lot of procedural questions and uncertainty about a whole host of things. My office is now seeking clarity on those questions to ensure the governance over the police department has clear lines of authority."
Kehoe appointed five people to the board in June. They are:
- Brad Artega, who owns a photography company.
- Sonya Jenkins-Gray, who served as St. Louis’ personnel director until March when she was fired by then-Mayor Tishaura Jones.
- Chris Saracino, owner-operator of the Bartolino’s Hospitality Group that runs several restaurants in the region.
- Edward McVey, owner of Maggie O’Brien’s restaurant in downtown St. Louis.
- Don Brown, a car dealer who will serve as a nonvoting member of the police board.
Gov. Kehoe called the September special session last week.
President Donald Trump has pressured Republican-led states to redraw their electoral maps to secure more seats for the GOP in the 2026 midterms. Missouri Republicans are considering splitting up Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Kansas City.
Lawmakers will also consider making it more difficult to amend the state constitution, which could have implications on Missouri’s abortion laws. Changes to the initiative petition process would require some constitutional amendments to pass statewide and in all eight congressional districts in order to be enacted.
This story has been updated with a comment from St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer
