First Lady Claudia Kehoe / Governor of Missouri (Left), Adobe Stock (Right)
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe’s wife, First Lady Claudia Kehoe, is playing a key role in a 2026 initiative to protect unborn lives by banning abortion in the state.
According to Missouri Independent, Kehoe is serving as treasurer for the Her Future, Her Health PAC, which seeks to repeal a 2024 state constitutional amendment that allowed abortion up until the point of fetal viability, typically about 24 weeks. The radical amendment, which was purported by advocates as “moderate,” narrowly passed with 51.6% approval in November 2024, according to the Washington Post.
Missouri Independent reports that Mike Hafner, the PAC’s campaign advisor, said the PAC “was launched with one clear and unwavering mission: To defend the dignity of human life and ensure Missourians have the knowledge and necessary tools to stand boldly for the unborn.”
The goal of the PAC is to pass a proposed amendment which will prohibit abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, except for cases of rape, incest, medical emergencies, and fatal fetal anomalies in the first trimester.
The amendment is on the 2026 ballot under the name Amendment 3, repealing the pro-abortion amendment which held the same name, according to Missouri Independent
Kehoe and her husband have a pro-life record, and her career background prepared her well for her role as fundraiser, with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration.
“I don’t recall in my over 40 years as pro-life lobbyist a first lady taking such a prominent role for any ballot measures – let alone a pro-life one,” said Sam Lee, who helped campaign against the 2024 abortion amendment.
Kathy Forck, a member of 40 Days for Life, told Missouri Independent that Kehoe’s contributions will make a difference in the campaign.
“I know that with [Claudia Kehoe’s] fervor, her energy, her strength, her contacts,” she said, “that things are going to be a lot different than they were the last time.”
