The 2012 Missouri Attorney General election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the Attorney General of Missouri. The election coincided with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and other state offices.
Primary Elections Primary elections were held on August 7, 2012.
- Democratic Party: Incumbent Attorney General Chris Koster ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
- Republican Party: Ed Martin, a lawyer and former chief of staff to Governor Matt Blunt, won the Republican primary over Adam Lee Warren and Michael G. Corcoran.
General Election The general election featured two major-party candidates:
- Chris Koster (Democratic Party): Incumbent Attorney General, first elected in 2008. Former state senator and former Republican who switched parties in 2006.
- Ed Martin (Republican Party): Attorney and conservative activist. He previously served as chief of staff to Governor Matt Blunt and ran for the U.S. House in Missouri's 3rd congressional district in 2010.
Campaign Koster campaigned on his record in office, highlighting consumer protection actions, efforts against mortgage fraud, and his leadership in the multi-state settlement with major banks over foreclosure practices. He emphasized a bipartisan approach to the office. Martin ran on a platform of limited government, opposing the Affordable Care Act (which Koster defended in court as part of his duties), and advocating for stricter immigration enforcement. He criticized Koster for accepting campaign contributions from trial lawyers.
Results Incumbent Chris Koster won re-election by a significant margin, outperforming the top of the ticket (President Barack Obama lost Missouri to Mitt Romney in 2012).
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Koster | Democratic | 1,485,962 | 55.8% |
| Ed Martin | Republican | 1,078,738 | 40.5% |
| Dave Browning | Libertarian | 97,965 | 3.7% |
| Total | 2,662,665 | 100.0% |
Outcome Chris Koster was sworn in for his second term as Attorney General on January 14, 2013. He served until January 2017, when he was term-limited and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Missouri in 2016.
