An Early Look At Our Spring 2013 Election

With the 2012 presidential election barely behind us, St. Louis’ spring 2013 election season has started. Candidates began filing on November 26th, the first was Francis Slay filing for an unprecedented fourth term for mayor.

The list of candidates posted on the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners website includes filings only from the first two days, November 26-27. Republican Director Gary Stoff confirmed yesterday morning their list of candidates is current, no additional candidates have filed. See the list online or archived.

Here’s the offices and my early take:

MAYOR

As mentioned above, Francis Slay filed to run for a fourth four-year term as mayor. Raymond Tucker is our only mayor to seek a 4th tern, he lost to Alfonso J.  Cervantes in 1965. Cervantes was a former President of the Board Aldermen, though not at the time he ran against Tucker.

Current President of the Board of Aldermen, Lewis Reed, also filed to run for mayor. Will Reed be able to keep Slay from a fourth term? A 3rd candidate also filed to run for mayor in the democratic primary: Jimmie Matthews.

COMPTROLLER

Darlene Green was unchallenged in early filing for another term as Comptroller, a position she’s held for four terms.

1ST WARD

Incumbent Charles Quincy Troupe was first elected in 2005, he’s seeking a third term.

3RD WARD

Notably absent from initial filing is that of incumbent Freeman Bosley Sr. Next spring will mark the end of his 6th term in office so perhaps he’s decided 24 years is enough. A Maxine Johnson is the only candidate filed so far.

5TH WARD

Incumbent Tammika Hubbard easily won a 3-way special election earlier this year after April Ford-Griffin resigned to take a job with the city.  But Hubbard hasn’t filed for reelection to a full term. Michelle Hutchings-Medina, however, has filed for the seat.

I’ve met Hutchings-Medina a couple of times in the last year and I’ve been very impressed by her character . I’m not going to make any endorsements until after filing closes in January but as a voter in the 5th ward she has my early support.

6TH WARD (SPECIAL ELECTION)

Kacie Starr Triplett surprised many recently when she resigned her seat to take a private job. The position of alderman is part-time so many have full-time employment.  But one must have a job with the flexibility to spend some time in city hall during the week.

So far two candidates have filed for the March 5th Democratic primary; Christine Ingrassia and Damon A. Jones.

7TH WARD

Phyllis Young is finishing up her 7th term as alderman of the 7th ward — that’s 28 years! For many voters she’s been in office their entire lives. Young has filed for an 8th term in office and as you might expect, nobody is challenging her.

9TH WARD

Ken Ortmann was first elected in 1999, presumably to finish the tern of the prior alderman. He was reelected in 2001, 2005, and 2009. To my knowledge, he’s not faced an opponent in the primary or general.

11TH WARD

For the first time in many years voters may not see the name Villa on the ballot. Matt Villa resigned a couple of years ago to focus more attention to the family business, his uncle Tom Villa won the special election to finish the term. Albert “Red” Villa was alderman from 1953-1990.

The only candidate filed so far is Eddie Tucker, owner of Tucker’s Bar and Grill on south Broadway (not to be confused with Tucker’s Place in Soulard).

13TH WARD

Like Phyllis Young, Fred Wessels is finishing his 7th term as alderman in the 13th ward. Also like Young, he’s a very nice person. To his credit, Wessels ran for the citywide office of treasurer earlier this year, coming in a close second in a hotly contested 4-way race. Politicians should not be reelected time and again due to a lack of a challenger. A lack of a challenger is not a victory, it’s a failure of democracy.

15TH WARD

Jennifer Florida has been another of the aldermen to be reelected due to a lack of a challenger but 2013 will be a different. Florida, seeking a fourth term, will face Lisa Miller in the Democratic primary. I recently met Miller and I think she’ll be a strong challenger to Florida. Will it be a 2-way race or will a spoiler file?

17TH WARD

Incumbent Joseph (Joe) Roddy waited until the afternoon of the 2nd day to file. In the spring he’ll have served 25 years in office, third in seniority behind Young & Wessels.   Roddy has been challenged before but he’s easily won each time.

19TH WARD

Marlene Davis was elected in 2007 after Michael McMillan was elected license collector, no challenger has come forth.

21ST WARD

Four years ago Antonio D. French did something rarely ever done — he defeated an incumbent. French has ruffled some feathers in the ward and in Room 200, but so far nobody has filed to run against him as he seeks a second term.

23RD WARD

Joseph (Joe) Vaccaro is also seeking a second term. In 2009 he got 48.8% of the vote in a 7-way race for the Democratic nomination.  When you finally get an open seat suddenly candidates are everywhere.

25TH WARD

Another candidate facing his first reelection campaign is Shane Cohn. This is the seat I ran for, and lost, in 2005 against incumbent Dorothy Kirner. In 2009 Kirner decided not to run again and Cohn won in a 4-way race.

27TH WARD

In August 2012 Alderman Gregory Carter was killed in a traffic accident, his nephew, then-state Rep Chris Carter, won the special election to finish the term.  Carter didn’t file for reelection but a Pamela Boyd has filed for the seat.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

Many dislike how term limits have resulted in quick turnover in state government. Conversely, lack of term limits has limited opportunities for new blood in the Board of Aldermen. We need to keep the state-level limits but increase them from 8 years to 12 or 16. At the local level we need to enact term limits of 12 or 16 years so we can get some fresh faces into office. This is needed because some don’t know when to leave office.

While we’re making changes to our city charter, we should also consider the following:

1. Eliminate partisan primary elections since only one elected official isn’t a Democrat; Scott Ogilvie is an independent, not a Republican or Green. Holding a partisan primary every two years so one party can select a nominee, followed by a general election a month later so the Democratic nominee can be on a ballot facing nominees from no other political party is a massive waste of money and effort.
2. Adopt Instant Runoff Voting for when you have three or more candidates. IRV eliminates the spoiler effect of three or more candidates. For more information on IRV see FairVote.org.

— Steve Patterson

Today Is Rosa Parks Day

Today marks an important day in history:

Most historians date the beginning of the modern civil rights movement in the United States to December 1, 1955. That was the day when an unknown seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This brave woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance, but her lonely act of defiance began a movement that ended legal segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere. (source)

I was born less than a dozen years later, my oldest brother was 5.  I can’t imagine  the kind of trouble I’d have gotten into trying to fight racial segregation.  Or would I have thought it was the way the world worked?

— Steve Patterson

Readers Opposed To Viewing Aldermanic Seats As White or Black Seats

Few readers felt vacant seats should be viewed as white or black seats in the poll last week:

Q: Should vacant seats on the Board of Aldermen be viewed as “white” or “black” seats?

1. No 81 [81.82%]
2. Yes 6 [6.06%]
3. Tie
   • Unsure/no opinion 4 [4.04%]
   • Depends 4 [4.04%]
   • Other: 4 [4.04%]

The “other:” answers were:

1. hell no
2. If we want to remain locked in the bitter battles of the past, I suppose we will
3. NEVER
4. Absolutely NOT. Another example of how race should not be a factor in decision..

I personally agree we shouldn’t think a seat is automatically supposed to be for a certain race. First of all, our city is more than just white and black. That said, many realized voter suppression is alive in 2012.

Not only were black folks angered and shocked at Republicans’ blatant attempts at voter suppression in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Texas and other states, they exacted revenge at the ballot box. (CNN)

But St. Louis votes Democratic, right? Technically yes, but substitute “old guard” for conservative above and the problem is one of gaining power or just enough to be appeased. On the other hand for the last five years I’ve been represented by numerous black persons: Board of Aldermen, President of the Board of Aldermen, Comptroller, State Rep, State Senate, US Rep. While some white folks certainly try to keep the balance of power I hope blacks can see we’re not all like that.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: Should Vacant Seats On The Board of Aldermen Be Viewed As “White” Or “Black” Seats?

Kacie Starr Triplett has resigned her 6th ward seat on the Board of Aldermen, so talk of those who’ll run to finish her term, which expires in April 2015, is picking up. Race, it seems, is a factor. It was noticed when Triplett, who is African-American, backed white candidates in the August primary:

To be not so nice, one could say Triplett committed political suicide in the August 2012 primary by aggressively opposing African-American candidates in key historically black districts, only to see both of her chosen candidates lose and lose badly. She supported her constituent and former employer Russ Carnahan over incumbent 1st District Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay. Carnahan, who ran a nasty campaign against a former family ally, was crushed by Clay. Triplett also aggressively supported Jeanette Mott Oxford over two black opponents (incumbent state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones and Jamilah Nasheed, who won the race) in the 5th District state Senate race; Mott Oxford came in dead last. (St. Louis American)

Political suicide? Triplett defeated challenger Bradford Kessler 83-17 in the March 2011 Democratic primary to win a second tem. She was unopposed in the April 2011 general election. Triplett defeated two white males in the March 2007 primary.

From the same article in the St. Louis American:

According to the board, African Americans now enjoy a 60.44 percent majority among the 6th Ward’s 11,958 residents, and a 54.73 percent majority among ward residents age 18 or older. This was seen in the August primary, when Clay got 60 percent of the votes in the 6th Ward, beating Triplett’s candidate Carnahan 1,183 votes to 806.

Does a majority of a race within a ward make that seat an assumed for that race? Before Triplett’s resignation the 28-member Board of Aldermen had twelve African-Americans. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, a mayoral candidate,  is also African-American.

It’s thought 6th ward Committeeman Damon Jones will get the Democratic nomination for the special election, a determination by the Central Committee, and that Martin Casas, former state house candidate, will run as an independent.  Casas is half Caucasian and half Latino.

UPDATE 11/18 @ 10am — I’ve been told that based on the timing of Triplett’s resignation the vacancy will be filled during the spring 2013 primary & general in March & April, respectively. That the Democratic Central Committee will not get to select the Democrat that’ll run.    

The poll question this week is should aldermanic seats be a lock for a specific race based on prior alderman or demographics? The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Clemens Mansion Was To Kickoff McKee’s NorthSide Regeneration Project

It was three years ago today that many gathered on the lawn in front of one of the most historic properties in St. Louis: The Clemens Mansion, located at 1849 Cass Ave.

From The Beacon:

Mayor Francis Slay put his ceremonial seal of approval Tuesday on the first step of the $8.1 billion plan to redevelop a large portion of north St. Louis, but he remained noncommittal on what developer Paul McKee considers a key part of the project.

The signing ceremony for two bills passed by the Board of Aldermen — the bills were actually signed into law by the mayor on Friday — took place under a tent on the front lawn of the Clemens House, one of the most visible properties in the McKee project area. (St. Louis Beacon)

Initial work had begun on the renovation but work stopped when part of the financing fell through, I believe a low-income housing tax credit. Soon much of McKee’s project will have a final airing in court.

The state Supreme Court has set Nov. 28 as the date for oral arguments in the lawsuit that has blocked McKee’s massive NorthSide Regeneration project for more than two years. There’s no telling how long after that a ruling might come down, but that ruling will help the project advance, McKee said. (stltoday.com)

Disclosure: I was a very minor consultant on the Clemen’s Mansion project, assisting with accessibility and starting to look at traffic calming and walkability along a larger stretch of Cass Ave. Hopefully the project can be completed in the future.

— Steve Patterson