ST. LOUIS—Missouri Gov. Mike Parson still intends to name a new St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney to replace the departing Wesley Bell, a Parson spokesperson confirmed this week to Spectrum News. It comes after the attorney general’s office and St. Louis County officials spent last week trading legal memos interpreting state law and the county charter.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office says state law supersedes the charter, meaning Parson has the power to appoint the replacement. The St. Louis County Counselor said the state was overlooking the state constitution’s “explicit grant of authority” to charter counties when it comes to selecting a prosecuting attorney. 

St. Louis County says it is following the same process St. Charles County used when Tim Lohmar left the office in the spring of 2023 and was replaced by Joe McCulloch who was appointed by County Executive Steve Ehlmann.

Parson and Ehlmann are Republicans, while Page is a Democrat.

“Governor Parson has clearly communicated his intention to appoint the next St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, exercising his authority under Missouri law. That has not changed,” a Parson spokesperson said Tuesday.

The state is accepting applications through Friday.

Page told Spectrum News on Tuesday he didn’t want to engage in hypotheticals in the event Parson does name a candidate.

“We’ll see. We’re pretty confident in the law. It’s been applied in Missouri at least four times over the past decade, just like this, and I think that’s where the line of authority is,” he said.

Candidates are getting interviewed this week and next, in hopes of announcing an appointee by the end of the month, Page said.

Bell has said he plans to remain in the office until he’s sworn in to serve Missouri’s first congressional district in Washington on Jan. 3.

If the governor appoints the candidate, he or she would take office as soon as a swearing-in, while a county executive’s appointee would still require county council approval.