Eric Robert Greitens Bio
Eric Robert Greitens, born on April 10, 1974, is an American politician, businessman, nonprofit founder, author, and former United States Navy SEAL. A Republican, he served as the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation on June 1, 2018. A Rhodes Scholar, Greitens graduated from Duke University and earned graduate degrees at the University of Oxford before founding the veterans’ nonprofit The Mission Continues. He later sought a return to public office with a 2022 Republican primary run for the United States Senate in Missouri.
Early Life and Background
Eric Robert Greitens was born on April 10, 1974, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Becky and Rob Greitens. His mother worked as a special education teacher, while his father was an accountant for the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Raised in a Democratic household, Greitens grew up in a mixed-faith family, with a Jewish mother and a Catholic father. He was raised Jewish and has spoken about attending the Reform B’nai El synagogue in St. Louis.
Greitens graduated from Parkway North High School in 1992, where his drive for service began to take shape. During his early twenties, he worked as a humanitarian volunteer and documentary photographer in countries affected by conflict and poverty, including Rwanda, Cambodia, Zaire, and Bolivia. As a college student, he also spent six weeks volunteering at refugee camps in Croatia that housed Bosnians fleeing the war. His photography from this period was later compiled in his book Strength and Compassion and showcased at the International Photography Hall of Fame.
Path to Public Service
Greitens majored in ethics, philosophy, and public policy at Duke University, earning his A.B. summa cum laude in 1996. He then won a Harry S. Truman Scholarship and was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, which allowed him to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, he was a member of Lady Margaret Hall, receiving a M.Phil. in development studies in 1998 and a D.Phil. in politics in 2000, with research focused on humanitarian efforts on behalf of children in war-torn countries.
Following his academic career, Greitens entered the United States Navy in January 2001, completing Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, and later Basic Underwater Demolitions/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, California, graduating with Class 237 in February 2002. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve, completing four deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia. He commanded a joint special operations task unit and an al-Qaeda targeting cell, and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Eric Robert Greitens Career
Early Career (2005–2010)
After leaving full-time active duty in 2005, Greitens served a one-year White House fellowship, appointed by President George W. Bush. During his fellowship, he developed a program to engage architecture and engineering students in rebuilding efforts in the South after Hurricane Katrina and worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Greitens also volunteered for a six-month tour in Iraq beginning in October 2006. On March 28, 2007, he was wounded in a chlorine gas bombing at the Fallujah government complex and received a Purple Heart. Following his military service, he founded The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that places veterans with volunteer organizations to support public service and career development. He worked without pay for the organization in 2007 and 2008.
Governorship and Political Breakthrough (2016–2018)
Eric Robert Greitens announced his candidacy for governor of Missouri in 2016 as a Republican, running as a self-described conservative outsider. He prevailed over three opponents in the Republican primary and went on to defeat Democratic Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election. His election made him the 56th governor of Missouri and the state’s first Jewish governor.
Greitens took office on January 9, 2017, and quickly made his mark by signing a right-to-work law that made Missouri the 28th right-to-work state. He also pursued anti-abortion legislation, signed tort reform measures, and issued executive orders banning gifts from lobbyists to executive branch employees. In 2018, he proposed a package of $800 million in state tax cuts, including reductions in individual and corporate income tax rates.
2022 Senate Campaign and Later Years (2018–2022)
After his resignation, Eric Robert Greitens launched a bid for the United States Senate in 2020, seeking the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Roy Blunt. His campaign drew endorsements from figures including former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, who joined the campaign as a national chair.
Greitens ultimately lost the 2022 Republican primary to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who went on to win the general election. Earlier, in January 2019, Greitens had sought to be reinstated to the Navy’s Selected Reserve and was eventually returned to service, though the Special Warfare Command denied his reentry into the SEALs. He resigned his commission in the Navy Reserve on May 1, 2021, two months after launching his Senate campaign.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most defining moments of Eric Robert Greitens’ career was his 2016 gubernatorial victory and his signing of Missouri’s right-to-work law in February 2017, a major policy achievement later overturned by statewide referendum in 2018. His inclusion on Time’s 2013 list of the 100 Most Influential People and Fortune’s 2014 list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders also marked him as a nationally recognized figure prior to his political career.
Eric Robert Greitens Career Wins
Eric Robert Greitens has built a multifaceted career spanning military service, nonprofit leadership, and statewide politics. His election as the 56th governor of Missouri in 2016 remains his most significant political victory, along with his successful navigation of a competitive Republican primary field.
Political Achievements
Greitens’ 2016 victory over Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster marked his primary career win in elective office. He secured the Republican nomination by prevailing over three opponents before going on to win the general election in a predominately Republican state.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond politics, Greitens was named to Time’s 2013 list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and Fortune’s 2014 list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. He also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2008 for his work at The Mission Continues, and in 2012 was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Tufts University and the Bronfman Prize.
Eric Robert Greitens Family
Family Background and Heritage
Eric Robert Greitens was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, by his parents Becky and Rob Greitens. His mother worked as a special education teacher and his father as an accountant for the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Greitens was raised in a Democratic family with a mixed religious heritage, identifying with his Jewish faith.
Personal Life
Greitens was married to his first wife, Rebecca Wright, from 2000 until their divorce in 2003. He later married Sheena Elise Chestnut in 2011, and the couple had two sons before divorcing in 2020. As first lady of Missouri, Sheena Greitens focused on initiatives to improve the lives of foster children and foster parents.