Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Hanaway's appointment just a day after Attorney-General Andrew Baily said he was stepping down to join President Donald Trump's administration as the FBI's co-deputy director. The change in Missouri's top law enforcement job will take effect Sept. 8.
“Fighting crime is — and will remain — job one for this office” Hanaway said.
Hanaway has deep roots in Missouri politics and extensive ties as a private practice attorney to corporate clients
Hanaway first won election to the Missouri House in 1998 and led the GOP takeover of the chamber in the 2002 elections as the state began a gradual transition from a political tossup to a GOP stronghold. She served as Missouri's first and only woman House speaker before losing a bid for secretary of state in 2004. She was appointed the next year by President George W. Bush as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Missouri, which she held until 2009.
As a partner at the Husch Blackwell law firm, Hanaway has represented global chemical manufacturer Bayer in lobbying for legislation that would provide a legal shield against mounting claims that it failed to warn customers that its popular Roundup weedkiller can allegedly cause cancer.
Bailey, a staunch Trump supporter, has served as attorney general since January 2023 and won election last November to a full four-year term. Hanaway said she intends to serve the remainder of Bailey's term and seek election herself in 2028.
Bailey brought an aggressive approach to the attorney general's office. He pursued numerous legal challenges against Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.
He also pursued conservative causes in his home state, threatening legal action against private gyms over bathroom policies, demanding that public schools ban drag shows and defending the state's pro-life regulations.
