Incumbent Republican governor Mike Parson was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a second full term in office due to having served more than two years of predecessor Eric Greitens' unexpired term following his resignation in June 2018.

The Republican nominee, incumbent lieutenant governor Mike Kehoe, defeated the Democratic nominee, minority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives Crystal Quade, to succeed Parson.

The last Democrat to hold the office of governor in Missouri was Jay Nixon, who comfortably won re-election in 2012.

Major news organizations predicted that the state would elect another Republican governor in 2024.

[41] Newspapers Statewide officials State legislators Organizations Labor unions Quade led the race, winning slightly more than half of the votes, as well as 90 county equivalents out of 115.