Thursday is the 25th anniversary of the deadly plane crash that killed then-Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, his son Randy and aide Chris Sifford, a former reporter. The crash happened on October 16, 2000.
Governor Carnahan served as governor from 1993 to 2000 and was running in 2000 in a high-profile U.S. Senate race against GOP incumbent John Ashcroft. Governor Carnahan’s plane crashed near Goldman Missouri in rainy weather while heading to southeast Missouri’s New Madrid County on a campaign stop.
Missouri voters elected Mr. Carnahan to the U-S Senate posthumously a few weeks after the crash. Missouri Lt. Governor Roger Wilson served as acting governor for three months, and Governor Wilson appointed Jean Carnahan, Mel Carnahan’s widow, to the United States Senate. She served until 2002, when she lost a race to then U.S. Rep. Jim Talent (R-Chesterfield).
Governor Carnahan was born in southern Missouri’s Birch Tree and served in the U.S. Air Force. He earned his law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. August 6 of each year is now recognized as Chris Sifford Day in Missouri. That’s his birthday. Missouri lawmakers in both parties pushed that measure for Mr. Sifford, who grew up in southeast Missouri’s Puxico.
Former Associated Press Jefferson City bureau chief Scott Charton joins 939 the Eagle’s Mike Murphy live today at 5:40 on the “Eagle Eye Drive at 5.”