Joe Maxwell

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title: "Joe Maxwell" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1957-births", "lieutenant-governors-of-missouri", "living-people", "democratic-party-members-of-the-missouri-house-of-representatives", "missouri-lawyers", "democratic-party-missouri-state-senators", "people-from-kirksville,-missouri", "people-from-audrain-county,-missouri", "university-of-missouri-alumni", "people-from-mexico,-missouri", "20th-century-members-of-the-missouri-general-assembly"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Maxwell" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Joe Maxwell
image	MO Lt. Governors - 45 Joe Maxwell (2000-2005) (53052872205).jpg
office	45th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
governor	Roger Wilson (2000–01)
Bob Holden (2001–05)
term_start	November 15, 2000
term_end	January 10, 2005
predecessor	Roger Wilson
successor	Peter Kinder
state_senate2	Missouri
district2	18th
term_start2	January 4, 1995
term_end2	November 15, 2000
preceded2	Norman Merrell
succeeded2	John W. Cauthorn
office3	Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
term_start3	January 1991
term_end3	January 4, 1995
preceded3	Ray Hamlett
succeeded3	Ted Farnen
constituency3	15th district (1991–93)
21st district (1993–95)
birth_name	Joseph Edwin Maxwell
birth_date
birth_place	Kirksville, Missouri, U.S.
party	Democratic
education	University of Missouri (BS, JD)
website
::

|name = Joe Maxwell |image = MO Lt. Governors - 45 Joe Maxwell (2000-2005) (53052872205).jpg |office = 45th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri |governor = Roger Wilson (2000–01) Bob Holden (2001–05) |term_start = November 15, 2000 |term_end = January 10, 2005 |predecessor = Roger Wilson |successor = Peter Kinder |state_senate2= Missouri |district2 = 18th |term_start2 = January 4, 1995 |term_end2 = November 15, 2000 |preceded2 = Norman Merrell |succeeded2 = John W. Cauthorn |office3 = Member of the Missouri House of Representatives |term_start3 = January 1991 |term_end3 = January 4, 1995 |preceded3 = Ray Hamlett |succeeded3 = Ted Farnen |constituency3= 15th district (1991–93) 21st district (1993–95) |birth_name = Joseph Edwin Maxwell |birth_date = |birth_place = Kirksville, Missouri, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |education = University of Missouri (BS, JD) |website = Joseph Edwin Maxwell (born March 17, 1957) is an American attorney who served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of the state of Missouri. He is a Democrat who also served in the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. To date, he is the last member of the Democratic Party to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri.

Personal history

Joseph Edwin Maxwell was born in Kirksville, Missouri and grew up on a farm near Rush Hill in rural Audrain County, Missouri. He is a graduate of Community R-VI High School in Laddonia and received his higher education at the University of Missouri. Maxwell earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Mizzou in 1986, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1990. Prior to receiving his higher education, Maxwell worked as a rural mail carrier for the U.S Postal Service and also operated a small business with his twin brother. Joe Maxwell is a military veteran who retired in 1995 with the rank of First Sergeant after twenty years in the Missouri National Guard. Maxwell and wife Sarah are the parents of three daughters. He later became an attorney in private practice in Mexico, Missouri with the firm of Hagan, Hamlett and Maxwell and Council Member of Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future.

Political history

Joe Maxwell served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, being elected in 1990 and again in 1992. In 1994 Maxwell ran for and won election to the Missouri Senate representing the 18th District. He easily defeated Republican challenger James Lemon in 1998 to win reelection. Joe Maxwell was elected to statewide office in 2000, defeating Republican Wendell Bailey in the race for Missouri Lieutenant Governor. After his election, he resigned from his senate seat to take office early. He chose not to run for the office again in 2004, citing his wife's health problems. In 2016, Maxwell, a Democrat, endorsed Republican Eric Greitens for Governor. Maxwell had been dissatisfied with Democratic nominee Chris Koster's stances on Agriculture, almost deciding to challenge him for the nomination.

| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = James Lemon |votes = 2,602 |percentage = |change = | |party = Democratic Party (US) |candidate = Joe Maxwell (incumbent) |votes = 20,586 |percentage = |change = Winner

| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Wendell Bailey |votes = 1,014,446 |percentage = 44% |change = | |party = Democratic Party (US) |candidate = Joe Maxwell |votes = 1,201,959 |percentage = 52.1% |change =Winner

References

References

1. Rebecca McDowell Cook. "Official Manual: State of Missouri 1997–1998".
2. "Senator Joe Maxwell – Member Biography". Senate.mo.gov.
3. "Joe Maxwell -Lt. Governor, Missouri". Juntosociety.com.
4. (February 5, 2009). "Group formed to guide state energy plans". St. Louis Business Journal.
5. "State Of Missouri {{!}} Specify a Race".
6. (2000-11-22). "Joe Maxwell Resigns Senate; Accepts Appointment as Lieutenant Governor". The La Belle Star.
7. Powers, Marc. (August 27, 2003). "Local News: Maxwell won't run for re-election (08/27/03)". seMissourian.com.
8. Zimpfer, Travis. (2016-10-21). "Former LG and animal rights activist Joe Maxwell endorses Greitens".
9. Faughn, Scott. (2016-10-24). "It's cliché, but it's a wild election year".
10. "2000 General Election Results".

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