ST. LOUIS–Missouri Gov. Mike Parson called a Wednesday morning news conference to announce his selection to serve as Attorney General, to succeed Eric Schmitt, who will become a U.S. Senator in January. Parson's choice came from within his own office, naming his General Counsel Andrew Bailey to the post.

This is the second time Parson gets to appoint an Attorney General, after he named Schmitt to the post when Josh Hawley won election to the Senate in 2018. Schmitt, who had been the State Treasurer, won his own four-year term as Attorney General in 2020. Given the recent trajectory for Hawley and Schmitt, the appointment was seen as something that could serve as a launching pad for a political career. 

Bailey told reporters he will seek the office in 2024 and Parson said that pursuit will have the full backing of the Governor's political operation. Parson in a later interview with Spectrum News, said he'd asked all of the candidates to commit to running in 2024 and filling out a full four-year term to bring stability to the office, with the potential of serving a total of 10 years if re-elected.

Bailey, 41, who has not held elective office, has been on Parson's legal staff since April of 2019, and lead Counsel since March of 2021. He's also served as General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections, and as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Warren County and an Assistant Attorney General. He also served in the Iraq war.

"I've practiced law in the municipal, state and federal court. I've had the honor of leading soldiers in combat and the privildge of serving my state and my community as an attorney. I've never taken the easy path. I'm battle-tested and I'm ready for this job," Bailey said, adding that he would look to build on the "legacy of excellence" from Hawley and Schmitt's terms. 

Parson will have another statewide appointment to make soon. He’ll need a new State Treasurer to succeed Scott Fitzpatrick, who will be sworn in as the next State Auditor in January. Parson told Spectrum News that the process of starting to talk to candidates won't come until after Thanksgiving, with the goal of announcing a candidate by the middle of December.