Missouri House Republicans have elected Rep. Mike Cierpiot of Lee's Summit as their new majority leader.
Cierpiot told The Associated Press that he was elected Thursday during a closed-door meeting of the House GOP.
The majority leader position became vacant after former House Speaker John Diehl resigned in May, causing a chain reaction of shifts in leadership.
The majority leader determines if, when and how long House members debate bills. It's considered a stepping stone to speaker, the House's top position.
Cierpiot previously served as assistant majority leader. St. Peters Rep. Robert Cornejo (kohr-NAY'-hoh) also ran for the majority leader position.
Cierpiot says he plans to push the House GOP priorities and beef up campaign fundraising for the group.
