KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jean Peters Baker has stepped down as chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.
The decision was announced Thursday night accompanied by statements from Baker, who has served as Jackson County prosecutor since 2011 and is up for reelection in November, and the new Acting Chair Clem Smith.
“My commitment to justice and service to our community has been a centerpiece of my career,” Baker, who has served chairwoman since December 2018, said in a statement. “In light of the recent developments in my position and the office of Jackson County Prosecutor, I am stepping back from the role as Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.”
Smith has served as Vice Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party and assumes the new role effective immediately.
“Jean Peters Baker is truly an asset to the Democratic Party, and I’m grateful for her leadership not only at the Party, but in her community,” Smith said in a statement. “I’m honored to be asked to help lead during one of the most important elections we’ve seen. We’ve got work to do, but the wind is at our back after we flipped a seat red to blue last year, and as recent polling has shown, that we’re a swing state with Vice President Biden polling ahead of President Trump.”
Smith is a former representative for the 85th District in the Missouri legislature and served as deputy minority whip during his time in the state House of Representatives.
“I believe that my friend and colleague, Clem Smith, is the right person to lead our Party at this critical moment,” Baker said. “I am grateful for his partnership. The Missouri Democratic Party has long embraced inclusion and diversity, as well as the need to address racial injustices in our state and nation. Clem will rise to the challenges and recognizes the need for leadership at this time of great unrest.”
Trump is up for reelection in November, but Democrats also are prioritizing Medicaid expansion on the August ballot and eyeing the Missouri governor’s race.
Mike Parson, a Republican who was elected as lieutenant governor in 2016 on a ticket with former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. He expected to win the August primary, while State Auditor Nicole Galloway is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
