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| Missouri Governor Jay Nixon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jay Nixon |
| Birth date | July 13, 1956 |
| Birth place | De Soto, Missouri, United States |
| Office | 55th Governor of Missouri |
| Term start | January 12, 2009 |
| Term end | January 9, 2017 |
| Predecessor | Matt Blunt |
| Successor | Eric Greitens |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri, Saint Louis University School of Law |
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon Jay Nixon is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th Governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Nixon previously served as Missouri Attorney General and was a state legislator. His tenure encompassed responses to natural disasters, fiscal policy debates, and high-profile legal and civil rights controversies.
Jay Nixon was born in De Soto, Missouri and raised in Griffith, Missouri and Jefferson County, Missouri. He graduated from De Soto High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri where he was involved in campus organizations tied to Missouri Student Association and regional civic groups. Nixon obtained his Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, and later clerked and practiced law in firms connected to the legal communities of Jefferson County, Missouri and St. Louis County, Missouri. During his early career he engaged with professional associations including the Missouri Bar Association and community organizations in the Ozarks region.
Nixon began his political career in the Missouri House of Representatives representing districts in Jefferson County, Missouri, serving on committees that dealt with legal and municipal issues alongside colleagues from St. Louis County, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri. He later served in the Missouri State Senate where he worked with legislators from the Missouri General Assembly on bills involving state statutes and regulatory frameworks. His legal background linked him to prominent figures in Missouri law such as former attorneys general and judges from the Missouri Supreme Court. Nixon built a reputation for involvement in litigation and policy concerning consumer protection, municipal governance, and public safety, interacting with offices in Jefferson City, Missouri and Washington actors including members of the United States Congress representing Missouri.
Elected Attorney General of Missouri in 1992, Nixon served multiple terms, succeeding figures associated with the Republican Party such as William L. Webster and working contemporaneously with Bob Holden and Mel Carnahan at the state executive level. As attorney general he led cases against corporations and entities including consumer litigation tied to national firms and coordinated with multistate actions involving the National Association of Attorneys General. Nixon worked on matters related to environmental law with agencies like the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and filed suits concerning fraud and antitrust involving companies headquartered in regions such as St. Louis, Springfield, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri. His office interfaced with federal departments including the United States Department of Justice and regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission on joint investigations.
Nixon launched a gubernatorial campaign in 2008, running against Republican opponents including Matt Blunt and challengers supported by figures from Tea Party movement factions and business groups from Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His campaign emphasized experience from his tenure as attorney general and legislative service, seeking endorsements from labor organizations, civic leaders in St. Louis, Kansas City, Missouri, and rural constituencies in Southeast Missouri. In 2012 Nixon ran for reelection, facing primary and general election opponents backed by national funders tied to conservative networks and political action committees operating in Missouri and neighboring states like Illinois and Arkansas; he secured a second term and campaigned on continuity with initiatives started during his first term.
During his governorship Nixon managed state responses to disasters including the 2011 Missouri floods aftermath and later severe weather events affecting Joplin, Missouri and Springfield, Missouri. He dealt with the state budget in coordination with the Missouri General Assembly and statewide officials such as the Missouri State Treasurer and Missouri Secretary of State. Nixon appointed judges to the Missouri Supreme Court and lower courts, interfacing with judicial nominating commissions and legal communities in Jefferson City, Missouri. He worked with law enforcement leaders from Missouri Highway Patrol and county sheriffs across Jackson County, Missouri and St. Louis County, Missouri on public safety measures and criminal justice reforms, while also interacting with federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency during emergencies.
Nixon advocated policies on healthcare involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation in Missouri and engaged with state health agencies including the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. On infrastructure he supported projects affecting major transportation corridors such as interstates near Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, coordinating with the Missouri Department of Transportation. He pursued economic development initiatives to attract firms from sectors linked to Boeing, Express Scripts, and manufacturing employers in Springfield, Missouri and Columbia, Missouri, working with local chambers including the St. Louis Regional Chamber. Education-related actions involved collaboration with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and public universities such as the University of Missouri System and Washington University in St. Louis. Nixon also supported conservation and natural resources efforts tied to the Missouri Conservation Commission and programs in the Mark Twain National Forest.
Nixon faced criticism over responses to civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, including decisions about deployment of the Missouri National Guard and coordination with the FBI and United States Department of Justice during inquiries into civil rights and police practices. His administration drew scrutiny from national civil liberties organizations and conservative groups, with debates involving entities like the American Civil Liberties Union and policy commentators from Fox News and The New York Times. Critics also challenged budgetary decisions and vetoes on legislation favored by the Missouri General Assembly Republican leadership and business coalitions, with legal disputes sometimes reaching the Missouri Supreme Court and prompting public debate involving media outlets in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Governors of Missouri Category:Missouri Democrats Category:People from Jefferson County, Missouri