Next Week 10-8-26 | Political Debate Without the Drama
John Hancock and Michael Kelley are well-known Missouri political strategists and media commentators who co-host the long-running bipartisan Sunday morning talk show Hancock and Kelley on FOX 2 St. Louis. [1, 2]
John Hancock (Republican)
- Background & Education: John Hancock grew up with roots in North County and St. Charles, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) and Rutgers University, earning a political science background.
- Political Career: A veteran Missouri Republican operative, Hancock served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives representing St. Louis County. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for Missouri Secretary of State in 1992 and 1996 before moving into high-level campaign management.
- Party Leadership: He served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party from 1997 to 2003, helping oversee major state-level GOP gains. Later, he served as the Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party from 2015 to 2017.
Michael Kelley (Democrat)
- Background & Education: Michael Kelley also grew up in North County/St. Charles backgrounds and graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), where both he and Hancock crossed educational and professional paths.
- Political Career: Kelley is a prominent Democratic strategist and operative in Missouri. His extensive political work includes serving as the Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party and Political Director for the Missouri AFL-CIO. He has also worked on high-profile campaigns for national and state figures like Dick Gephardt and Claire McCaskill.