Mike Kehoe is best known to Mid-Missourians as the owner and operator of a popular car dealership. But he’s also been heavily involved in state government for quite some time.
Kehoe, a Jefferson City native who owns Mike Kehoe Auto Group, has served on the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission since 2005. The six-member commission is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Missouri Department of Transportation.
But today, Kehoe announced he was resigning from the commission. In a press release from MoDOT, Kehoe said that he was looking forward to starting “a new chapter in my life.”
“I notified Governor Nixon of my decision, but I also took the opportunity to highlight the great accomplishments I have observed during my time on the commission,” Kehoe said in a statement. “The bottom line is that MoDot is spending taxpayer money responsibly on transportation improvements that are saving lives, supporting jobs and making travel better for all Missourians.”
It’s not mentioned in the press release if there was any specific rationale behind Kehoe’s decision. But there’s been speculation that Kehoe could be running as a Republican for a soon-to-be open Senate seat currently held by Sen. Carl Vogel, R-Jefferson City.
With solid recognition from his business and the potential to self-finance, Kehoe could be a formidable candidate in the race to replace Vogel. Several other Republicans – including Jefferson City CPA Harry Otto, state Reps. Bill Deeken, R-Jefferson City, Kenny Jones, R-California, and Mark Bruns, R-Jefferson City – are considering running for the seat.
But as noted in the Jefferson City News-Tribune article, there is some line of thought that the overabundance of Jefferson City candidates could provide an advantage to Jones. In addition to encompassing Cole County, Vogel’s Senate district includes the counties of Callaway, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan. Jones, a former Moniteau County sherrif, is the only candidate thus far who resides outside of Cole County.
Tags: carl vogel, jefferson city, mike kehoe, missouri highways and transportation commissionCategories: Business, Politics.
