The field of announced candidates for Missouri Secretary of State in 2024 grew over the weekend, with Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden being the latest to get into the GOP race to succeed Jay Ashcroft.
Rowden went public with the news Saturday at the University of Missouri’s Homecoming Parade.
Rowden released a campaign video focused on broad themes of freedom and liberty but did not lay out any specific policy proposals for the office, which serves as the state’s chief elections official, regulates securities and is also responsible for maintaining current and historic records, among other duties.
Due to term limits, Rowden, who owns a marketing firm in Columbia, enters his final legislative session in January after also serving in the House. Monday afternoon he had yet to adjust his Missouri Ethics Commission paperwork to reflect his interest in the race. Filing at the Secretary of State’s Office doesn’t begin until February.
Rowden joins Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, State Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles, and Valentina Gomez Noriega, of St. Louis, in the GOP field. No Democrats have publicly announced plans for a campaign.
Rowden and Hoskins have clashed in recent years as part of a larger struggle between members who formed a now-defunct “conservative caucus” and Republican leadership in the chamber.