Jim Spainhower

James Spainhower (August 3, 1928 – December 12, 2018 ) was an American Democratic politician from Missouri. He served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1963 to 1970 and two terms as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 1973 to 1981.

Political career From 1963 to 1970, Spainhower served in the Missouri House of Representatives, where he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the House Education Committee. During his tenure in the state legislature, he also earned master's and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of Missouri. In 1972, he was elected as State Treasurer of Missouri, and served in that post from 1973 to 1981. Unable to seek a third term as State Treasurer in 1980, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri, losing the Democratic Party nomination to incumbent Joseph P. Teasdale.

Spainhower threw his hat into the ring for the 1976 United States Senate election in Missouri after the initial Democratic nominee Jerry Litton was killed while flying to the victory party. On August 21, the Democratic state committee selected Warren E. Hearnes as the replacement nominee over Spainhower by a 38 to 22 vote. Hearnes lost the general election to John Danforth who garnered 56.9% of the vote.

Later career Following his tenure as State Treasurer, Spainhower held the posts of President of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, President of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri and President of the Division of Higher Education for the Disciples of Christ denomination. He and his wife subsequently moved to Rogers, Arkansas, where he served as an interim pastor at several churches in Bella Vista, Arkansas, Harrison, Arkansas and Bentonville, Arkansas. He and his wife lived in Raymore, Missouri until the time of his death.