Politics

GOP Supermajority In Missouri House Grows Slightly As Vacant Seats Filled This Week

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published April 4, 2013 at 6:44 PM CDT

The Republican supermajority in the Missouri Houseinched up this week with the election of Republican Mike Moon of Lawrence County to the vacant House District 157 seat from southwestern Missouri. Moon defeated Democrat and former House Member Charlie "Doc" Dake in what RepublicanSpeaker Tim Jonesdescribed as a hotly-contested race.

“Many of the topics and issues that we’ve been discussing throughout the first part of this session were debated in that race," Jones told reporters at the State Capitol Thursday. "That race was a microcosm of many of the policies that we’re advancing and the issues we’re pushing, and I look at that as a race that is a reaffirmation of the Missouri House’s policy agenda.”

Meanwhile, Democrat Joshua Peters won an uncontested race for the state’s other vacant seat – House District 76 in St. Louis. That brings the total number of Democrats in the Missouri House to 53, and Moon’s win gives Republicans 110 seats.

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.