Incumbent Democratic governor Jay Nixon was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office.

[1] State Attorney General Chris Koster and businessman, author and former U.S. Navy SEAL Eric Greitens won the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.

[4] Aggregate polls with John Brunner with Catherine Hanaway with Peter Kinder with Bob Dixon with Bart Korman with Tom Schweich with Randy Asbury with Claire McCaskill Greitens won 6 of 8 congressional districts.

[108] In 2018, Missouri attorney general Josh Hawley announced the opening of an investigation of Greitens' 2016 campaign financing.

[109] On June 1, 2018, Eric Greitens resigned from office, leaving Mike Parson, his lieutenant governor, to succeed him.