2024 Primary Election Endorsements

Hospitals have a tremendous stake in Missouri’s elections. 

Missourians need and deserve candidates who understand how important the work of hospitals is to their health. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe in his bid for governor, and Sen. Lincoln Hough in his race for Lt. Governor, were endorsed by MHA.  

We urge hospital employees to learn more about these candidates and consider voting for them on Aug. 6. 

The Importance of Voting Aug. 6

This year’s elections — especially the Aug. 6 primary election — will have long-term implications for our patients, communities and hospital organizations. The Republican primary will determine which statewide candidates likely will prevail in November. Selecting the candidates that best understand and share our values will be essential to hospitals in the next four years and beyond.  

We believe several candidates running in the Aug. 6 primary have a proven track record of supporting programs and policies essential to the state’s hospitals. As a result, MHA’s Board of Trustees authorized the rare step of candidate endorsements in this year’s primary election. 

MHA’s Endorsed Candidates 

Candidate Endorsed for Governor: Mike Kehoe

MHA is endorsing Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe in Missouri’s Republican gubernatorial primary election.

Kehoe has been an advocate for health care initiatives, centered on what’s in the best interest of all Missourians, since he served in the Senate. He has been a champion for workforce development and health improvement — including addressing Missouri’s maternal mortality and morbidity challenges — as lieutenant governor. This sets him apart from other candidates.

The MHA Board of Trustees’ decision to endorse Kehoe was grounded in the stakes of the 2024 election. The policies advanced by the next governor will shape health care for years to come and have broad-reaching implications for patients, Missouri’s communities and the state’s hospitals.

Candidate Endorsed for Lt. Governor: Lincoln Hough

MHA is endorsing Missouri State Sen. Lincoln Hough in his campaign for lieutenant governor.

Hough has guided the state’s investments in the health care workforce, supporting policy changes and appropriations to build capacity in nursing and other professions essential to Missourians’ care. He created and subsequently expanded the Fast Track incentive grant program, creating educational opportunities for students in the health professions, ensuring a stable pipeline of health care workers in Missouri. 

Hough’s leadership was essential to lawmakers’ efforts to renew authorization of the state’s funding system for the health care safety net — benefitting kids, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals and the elderly. In addition, his ongoing leadership has been evident in his support of solutions to gaps in the behavioral health system. He has led efforts to span gaps in the current system and shaped targeted state investments to support and improve the system.  

How To Vote

Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 6. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you have the right to cast your vote.

• Find your polling place.

From July 23 to Aug. 5, you may vote with a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by your local election authority.

Make sure you bring an acceptable form of identification to the polls.

What’s Next

Missouri’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. The last day to register to vote in the general election is Wednesday, Oct. 9.

• You can register online or in-person at your local election office.
• If you’re already registered, check your voter registration status to ensure it’s up to date.
• Encourage your friends, family and neighbors to register to vote.

Paid for by the Missouri Hospital Association, Jon D. Doolittle, President and CEO