April 4, 2023 General Municipal Election Ballot

With the Primary Election behind us, let's look at what will be on your April 4th Ballot.
View Sample Citywide Ballot.  but remember you'll only see the President of the Board, Ward 4 Alder, and issues on your ballot*

Important Dates:
03/14/23: Application-based absentee voting (both by mail and in-person) begins.
03/21/23: No excuse needed absentee voting begins.
03/22/23: Last day to request an application-based absentee ballot by mail.
04/03/23: Last day to vote absentee in person (both types).
04/04/23: Election day. All mail-in ballots must be received by 7 PM. All in-person voters must be in line to vote by 7 PM.

President of the Board of Aldermen
Current BoA President Dr. Megan E. Green is running unopposed.

Run-off Election for Aldermen Ward 4 
Incumbent Alders Bret Narayan (Ward 24) and Joe Vacarro (Ward 23) will face off in this General Election. The Primary on 3/7 was a close matchup as only 35 votes separated Vacarro and Narayan. When you factor in the third candidate Otto with 220 votes and voters who chose more than one candidate, this race could go either way.

The neighborhood associations of the New 4th Ward held a candidate forum on Wednesday, March 22 at the Epiphany Gym. Watch forum video

Narayan has broad support including endorsements ranging from the St. Louis Police Officers Association and Firefighters Local 72 as well as Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, SEIU, and Unite Here! Plus endorsements from BoA President Green, The Sierra Club, and Pro-Choice Missouri (formally NARAL), STL Young Dems, and several elected committeewomen, including myself.

Vacarro has been heavily scrutinized in the press for egregious typos in his campaign literature and the unprofessional email address "car wash daddy" as well as his interaction with an SLMPD officer in March 2022 that most certainly led to his loss of police support this election. His popularity remains based on a promise to personally take care of constituent services (such as replacing trash cans). Still, one of the questions voters should be asking themselves is how will that level of service be sustainable when Joe has twice the number of constituents to answer to?

Here is a good summary of this Aldermanic Election under the new reduced 14 ward maps.

SLPS School Board
Two (2) positions will be filled, currently held by Board Members Hogan & Sonnier.

Watch the Candidate forum:

SADIE WEISS - Weiss holds a master's degree in social work and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of the UMSL Bridge Program, Sadie supports students across the St. Louis region as they prepare for post-secondary opportunities. Weiss has the endorsement of AFT Local 420 Teacher's union, The St. Louis Labor Council, and the Ecumenical Leadership Council.

TRACY E. HYKES - Endorsed by the AFT Local 420 Teacher's union.

Solidarity with SLPS has also endorsed Weiss and Hykes

DR. J. L. (COACH WIN) QUINONES - Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1992 to 2001. He earned a bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1994, a master's degree from American University in Dubai in 1997, and a Ph.D. from American University in Dubai in 2000. His career experience includes working as an education advocate. Quinones also ran for an at-large seat in 2021 and again in 2022, but finished in third place behind Hubbard and Jones.

Issues

Charter Commission Amendment - will empower St. Louis City residents to suggest updates to the city charter, enacted in 1914. Any change recommended from the commission to the charter would still require approval by 3/5 of St. Louis voters. I urge you to vote YES on this measure. Learn more at STLPropC.com 

 - Read more on Prop C from St. Louis Public Radio

Additional 3% Tax on Recreational Marijuana Sales  - this issue is a proposal to impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sales of adult-use non-medical (recreational) marijuana made in the City of St. Louis, as authorized by Amendment 3 of the Missouri Constitution. The money from the sales tax would go into the General Fund (it IS possible that one of the 14 BoA members could sponsor a bill with more direction on how this 3% would be spent in the future). I urge you to vote YES on this issue.

The membership of the open ward organization 4th Ward Democrats has also voted to endorse YES on both of these issues.

*Hi-Pointe (W4 Precinct 11) Only*

A tiny part of what was W4 Precinct 1 is now Precinct 11 due to the fact the Community College District lines don't align with our other maps. For just this part of Hi-Pointe, you will also have the Community College race on your ballot.

Pam Ross - incumbent Pam Ross is the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees Subdistrict 2 in Missouri. Ross assumed office on April 20, 2017, and is running for re-election.

Nicole Robinson  - is challenging Ross.

New Ward 4 Aldermanic Election

In my previous post, I talked about the whole Board of Aldermen landscape. But for us, in the old 24th and 23rd wards – now in the New 4th Ward [see map], let's take a closer look at our three candidates: BRET NARAYAN, JOSEPH [JOE] VACCARO, and CASEY OTTO.

On your March 7th ballot, you'll also see MEGAN ELLYIA GREEN who is running unopposed for a full term as President of the Board of Aldermen. View citywide sample ballot, remember you'll only see President of the Board and Ward 4 candidates.

On 1/18/23 the 4th Ward Democrats hosted an aldermanic forum with all three candidates in attendance. You can watch the forum part one and part two here.  I've heard there is an additional forum in the works to be hosted by the neighborhood associations - this will take place in March after the Primary Election.

We have three candidates filed in the new 4th ward, and since this election will be under our new Prop D rules, you will be able to vote for "as many candidates as you approve of" on March 7th, and the top two candidates will run-off in the April 4th General Election. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES, in ballot order:

BRET NARAYAN  

@STL4Ward on Twitter
Bret Narayan is the current 24th-ward Alder. Learn more about Narayan's legislative priorities.

Bret Narayan has served on the Board of Aldermen representing ward 24 since 2019 –– emerging as the chosen candidate from a crowded field of challengers including a former Alderman and both Committeepersons at the time.

Narayan has the endorsement of the membership of the 4th Ward Democrats, St. Louis Young Democrats, Comptroller Darlene Green, Pro-Choice Missouri (formerly NARAL), and the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He also has my endorsement and strong union support.

Want to see more about Bret's campaign finances? Review Bret Narayan's MEC reports.

JOSEPH [JOE] VACCARO

@aldermanJoe on Twitter
Joe Vaccaro is the current 23rd-ward Alder. Learn more about Vaccaro's legislative priorities.

Joe Vaccaro has served on the Board of Aldermen since 2009 representing the 23rd ward. He has run unopposed in the past three elections (2021, 2017, and 2013) after winning a 7-way race in 2009.

Vaccaro made headlines last year after an interaction with an SLMPD officer went public for all the wrong reasons. You can read more from the Post Dispatch  and watch the bodycam footage for yourself.

Want to see more about Joe's campaign finances? Review Joe Vaccaro's MEC reports.

CASEY OTTO

Casey Otto is a relative political newcomer and Clifton Heights resident. He was elected as a Board member for the Orchard Farm R-V School District (St. Charles) in 2011 and 2014 before returning to St. Louis city.

Casey doesn't currently have a campaign committee registered with the MEC.

Reduced Ward Aldermanic Landscape & Pres of the BoA

We've been talking about it for a while, but this upcoming Municipal election in the spring of 2023 will be when we elect our new representation on the Board of Aldermen following both Ward Reduction and the most recent Census Redistricting. 

A little background, in 2012 voters approved a Charter amendment that was to reduce the wards in St. Louis City from 28 to 14 following the 2020 Census. In December 2021, the Board of Aldermen approved this new map with our 14 ward boundaries. 

This will make for an interesting election cycle, since most wards now have more than one incumbent Alderperson within their boundaries. Both Joe Vaccarro and Bret Narayan reside in the new Ward 4 and are expected to run. I suspect we also will have some new faces jump into the race. In 2019, in the old 24th Ward we had five candidates, including recalled Alder Tom Bauer and both committeepersons (at the time). I can assure you I as your current Committeewoman will NOT be running, but beyond that, we'll just need to wait and see. Aldermen Vaccarro ran unopposed the last time he ran in 2021.

The new Ward 4 is basically the old Ward 24 + three precincts in Lindenwood Park from the old Ward 23. View the new Ward 4 map. 

You can read more background of the reduction process in this publication from David W. Sweeney, Michael T. Crawford. The link above also spells out the process for how the Aldermanic elections will be handled and where current alders reside. Note: Some Alders listed in that article have changed after several resignations and then Special Elections in 2022. Current list of Alders & new wards is later in this blog.

 In this upcoming Municipal Election, EVERY ward will elect their new Alderperson. The even numbered wards (like us, in the new ward 4) will elect their Alders for 4-year terms, the odd numbered wards for 2-year terms, thus setting up the staggered elections for the next decade.

Former 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Green was elected as President of the Board of Aldermen on 11/8/22 but that election was only for the remainder of Lewis Reed's term. The full 4-year term for President of the Board of Aldermen will also be on your March 7, 2023 ballot. It's expected that Green will run again but we'll have to wait and see if anyone chooses to challenge her. Jack Coatar who also ran for Pres BoA in November has said he will not run again. Interestingly enough, Megan Green will be inaugurated tomorrow (11/28/22) on the same day filing opens for the March Primary.

This upcoming election will also be under our new Prop D rules, or Approval Voting for both President of the BoA and Alderpersons. In November 2020, voters approved a measure that makes some city elections (mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen) from a plurality voting system to an approval voting system for primary elections.

The key things to remember about Approval Voting are:

• Candidates will not have a party affiliation (such as DEM) listed by their name, all candidates are officially non-partisan. You may see a candidate campaign under a party affiliation, but it won't be listed on the ballot. 

• In the Primary (3/7/23), you can vote for as many candidates as you approve of with the top two candidates moving on to a run-off in the General Election (4/4/23)

Important Election Dates:

11/28/22: Candidate filing begins.
01/06/23: Candidate filing ends.
01/24/23: Application-based absentee voting (both by mail and in-person) begins.
02/08/23: Last day to register to vote in this election.
02/21/23: No excuse needed absentee voting begins.
02/22/23: Last day to request an application-based absentee ballot by mail.
03/06/23: Last day to vote absentee in person (both types).
03/07/23: Election day. All mail-in ballots must be received by 7 PM. All in-person voters must be in line to vote by 7 PM.

To the best of my knowledge, these are new wards where current Alders reside. I'll keep this as up-to-date as possible during the filing period. Black text = filed. Grey text = in ward incumbent.

See final unofficial candidate list. Filing is now closed.

** (#) denotes current ward alder

1 ANNE SCHWEITZER (13)
1 TONY KIRCHNER 
1 MATTHEW KOTRABA

2 Tom Oldenburg (16)
2 PHILL MENENDEZ 

2 KATIE BELLIS 

3 SHANE COHN (25) 

4 JOSEPH (JOE) VACCARO (23) 
4 BRET NARAYAN (24)
4 CASEY OTTO

5 JOSEPH (JOE) VOLLMER (10) 

5 HELEN PETTY

6 DANIELA VELAZQUEZ
6 JENNIFER FLORIDA

7 ALISHA SONNIER (school board) 

7 J, P. MITCHOM

7 CEDRIC (C-SHARP) REDMON

8 CARA SPENCER (20)
8 SHEDRICK (NATO CALIPH) KELLEY

8 KENNETH A (KEN) ORTMANN

9 TINA (SWEET-T) PIHL (17) 
9 MICHAEL J. GRAS (28) 
9 MICHAEL BROWNING

10 SHAMEEM CLARK HUBBARD (26) 
10 EMMETT L. COLEMAN

11 Laura Keys (21)
11 CARLA (COFFEE) WRIGHT

12 Sharon Tyus (1)
12 DARRON M. COLLINS-BEY 

12 TASHARA T. EARL
12 YOLANDA (GLASS) BROWN
12 WALTER RUSH

13 LISA MIDDLEBROOK (2)
13 Pam Boyd (27)
13 NORMA J. WALKER (22)

14 Brandon Bosley (3)
14 JAMES PAGE (5)

14 RASHEEN ALDRIDGE (Rep 78th)
14 EBONY M. WASHINGTON

Your Midterm Ballot

It's hard to believe, but absentee voting is already open for our upcoming November 8th Midterm Election. I've collected a bunch of links in this blog to help you learn a bit more about the candidate and issues on your Midterm Ballot - and be ready to VOTE.

First, some KEY DATES for the Nov Election:

• Application-based absentee voting (both by mail and in-person) began on 9/27/22
• Last day to register to vote for this election: October 12 - CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION
• No excuse needed absentee voting begins: October 25 - SEE LOCATIONS
• Last day to request an application-based absentee ballot by mail: October 26 - LEARN MORE
• Last day to vote absentee in person: Monday, November 7th
• Election Day: Tuesday, November 8th - SEE ALL VOTING LOCATIONS (Precinct-based and citywide options available)

Next, let's take a look at what's on your BALLOT 

Click on the green link above to see a PDF of the ballot

Candidates

US Senator

Currently held by retiring Senator Roy Blunt (R) - who's held this seat since 2011.
ERIC SCHMITT  (REP) currently Schmitt is serving as the MO Attorney General, endorsed by Blunt. Schmitt made headlines for suing six local schools over masking requirements and has also sued the city of St. Louis over using funds for logistical abortion access.
TRUDY BUSCH VALENTINE (DEM) has the endorsement of Missouri AFL-CIO, Missouri Nurses Association, and Human Rights Campaign as well as the St. Louis Democratic Central Committee
JONATHAN DINE  (LIB) Dine also ran an unsuccessful bid for this seat in 2012
PAUL VENABLE (CON) Follow the link for more about his personal views 

MO State Auditor

Our current MO Auditor is Nicole Galloway, CPA last elected in 2018.
SCOTT FITZPATRICK (REP) currently serving as State Treasurer, appointed by Gov. Parson 
ALAN GREEN (DEM) former CFO and State Rep, Green has endorsements from many St. Louis City and County elected officials
JOHN A. HARTWIG, JR (LIB) longtime CPA from the St. Louis area

US Rep District 1 

Bush is currently serving her first term after first being elected in 2020 replacing former Rep. Lacy Clay
ANDREW JONES (REP) Jones ran an unsuccessful bid for STL City Mayor in 2017 
CORI BUSH (DEM) Bush is popular in the district winning the Dem Primary with 69.5% of the vote 
GEORGE A. ZSIDISIN (LIB) “Supply chain is the solution” is his campaign theme

MO State Senator - District 4

May is currently serving her third term as District 4 Senator, first elected in 2018
MARY THERESA McLEAN (REP) McLean currently serves as Chair of the Republican Central Committee in St. Louis City, she's also endorsed by MO Right to Life PAC
KARLA MAY (DEM) Senator May currently serves as Minority Caucus chair as well as Chair of the Democratic Central Committee in St. Louis City

MO State Rep HD 82

After redistricting, some of us who were previously in HD 83 with Jo Doll are now in HD 82. 
ROBERT J. CRUMP (REP) Has unsuccessfully challenged Baringer in the past two elections for this seat
DONNA M.C. BARINGER  (DEM) Serving as Rep since 2017 and former Ward 16 Alderwoman

MO State Rep HD 84 

Taylor challenged current Rep. Wiley Price in the Democratic primary and won the Democratic nomination. He runs unopposed in the General. Price was recently appointed committeeman representing Ward 26 on the St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee.
DEL TAYLOR (DEM) 

Not sure which House District you're in after redistricting? Check the map

General Election President of the Board of Aldermen

MEGAN ELLYIA GREEN - Green won the Primary on 9/13/22 with 53.72% of the vote citywide
JACK COATAR -In his first citywide race had a strong showing winning in the new 4th Ward and being the favorite in all three precincts in Lindenwood Park, Clayton-Tamm, and it was 50/50 in Clifton Heights.

It's important to remember, however, this was a super low-turnout election at just over 6% citywide, so November will likely look very different. And whoever wins will only fulfill the end of Lewis Reed's term, so this seat will be on your ballot again in Spring 2023. See full precinct-level results here.

STL City Collector of Revenue

ROBERT VROMAN (REP) Is currently serving as Vice-Chair for the GOP Central Committee and Ward 22 Committeeman, he previously ran unsuccessfully for City Treasurer in 2020 against Tishaura Jones.
GREGORY F.X. DALY (DEM) Daly has been serving as Collector of Revenue since 2007. His office has worked hard to modernize many of the cumbersome city payment procedures.

STL City License Collector

MICHAEL HEBRON (REP) Is servicing as Committeeman for Ward 6 GOP Central Committee and ran unsuccessfully against Steve Roberts for State Senate District 5 in 2020.
MAVIS [TESSA] THOMPSON (DEM) Thompson has served as License Collector since first being appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon in 2013.

STL City Recorder of Deeds

TIMOTHY GARTIN (REP) Is currently serving as Ward 20 GOP Committeeman
MICHAEL BUTLER (DEM) Butler has served as Recorder of Deeds since 2018 and current Chairman at The Missouri Democratic Party
JEROME H. BAUER (GRN) Bauer has been a Green party candidate for many races previously including Governor, President of BoA, and US Senate.

My recommendation is to vote for all of the Democratic candidates – but please note, I have not made an endorsement in the President of the BoA race.

Judges

You can vote Yes/No to retain each. The best place to research judges is YourMissouriJudges.org - hosted by the Missouri Bar Association, this site has evaluations from attorneys who work with these judges. Click on "judges" and then you can search "Reviews by Circuit". I also find that a quick google search might bring up any high-profile cases the judge may have presided over.

MO Supreme Court Judges:
ZEL M FISCHER and ROBIN RANSOM

MO Court of Appeals Judges - Eastern District:
KELLY C. BRONIEC, THOMAS C. CLARK, II, MICHAEL E. GARDNER, and  JOHN P. TORBITZKY

22nd Judicial Circuit Court Judges:
BRYAN L. HETTENBACH, MICHAEL K. MULLEN, JOHN T. BIRD, DAVID C. MASON, CHRISTOPHER E. McGRAUGH

Assoc. Circuit Court Judge:
BARBARA TINA PEEBLES

Ballot Issues

Read Missouri Ballot Proposals in Plain English from Elad Gross, civil rights and government transparency attorney and host of the Eladpod.

You'll be able to vote YES or NO on the following issues - listed below is the language you'll see on your ballot plus the "fair ballot language" from the SOS site. You can click on the green title to link out to full ballot language.

Constitutional Amendment 1

Proposed by the 101st General Assembly (First Regular Session) HCS HJR 35 

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to: *allow the General Assembly to override the current constitutional restrictions of state investments by the state treasurer; and *allow state investments in municipal securities possessing one of the top five highest long-term ratings or the highest short-term rating? State governmental entities estimate no costs and increased interest revenue of $2 million per year. Local governmental entities estimate no costs and increased interest revenue of at least $34,000 per year.

A "yes" vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to grant the General Assembly statutory authority to invest state funds and also expand the state treasurer's investment options. Currently, the Constitution grants the General Assembly no statutory investment authority and limits the treasurer's investment options. This amendment will allow the General Assembly by statute to determine investment avenues for the state treasurer to invest state funds, as well as allow the state treasurer to invest in municipal securities.

A "no" vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution and limit the treasurer to investing state funds only in those investment options currently approved by the Constitution.

I'm aligned with The Missouri State Democratic Party on their "NO" recommendation on Amd. 1

Constitutional Amendment 3
Proposed by Initiative Petition

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to: *remove state prohibitions on purchasing, possessing, consuming, using, delivering, manufacturing, and selling marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of twenty-one; *require a registration card for personal cultivation with prescribed limits; *allow persons with certain marijuana-related non-violent offenses to petition for release from incarceration or parole and probation and have records expunged; *establish a lottery selection process to award licenses and certificates; *issue equally distributed licenses to each congressional district; and *impose a six percent tax on the retail price of marijuana to benefit various programs? State governmental entities estimate initial costs of $3.1 million, initial revenues of at least $7.9 million, annual costs of $5.5 million, and annual revenues of at least $40.8 million. Local governments are estimated to have annual costs of at least $35,000 and annual revenues of at least $13.8 million.

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to remove state prohibitions on the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacture, and sale of marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of twenty-one.

The amendment would also allow individuals with certain marijuana-related offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged; along with imposing a six percent tax on the retail price of recreational marijuana.

A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution and the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes will remain prohibited under current law. Medical marijuana would remain unchanged.

If passed, this measure will impose a 6 percent tax on the retail price of recreational marijuana.

Yes on 3 has been endorsed by Missouri AFL-CIO, St. Louis County and City NAACP, Missouri NORML, Empower Missouri, ACLU of Missouri, and the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. My recommendation is "YES" on Amd. 3 

Read a comprehensive guide on all the details here.

Constitutional Amendment 4
Proposed by the 101st General Assembly (Second Regular Session) SS2 SJR 38 

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to authorize laws, passed before December 31, 2026, that increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure such police force has additional resources to serve its communities? State and local governmental entities estimate no additional costs or savings related to this proposal.

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to allow the general assembly by law to increase the minimum funding for a police force established by the state board of police commissioners to ensure such police force has additional resources to serve its communities. Currently, the only police force established by the state board of police commissioners is found in Kansas City, Missouri.

A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding the funding for a police force established by the state board of police commissioners.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

I'm aligned with The Missouri State Democratic Party on their "NO" recommendation on Amd. 4

Constitutional Amendment 5
Proposed by the 101st General Assembly (Second Regular Session) HJR 116

Shall the Missouri National Guard currently under the Missouri Department of Public Safety be its own department, known as the Missouri Department of the National Guard, which shall be required to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians? State governmental entities estimate no savings and ongoing costs of $132,000 annually. Local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to create the Missouri Department of the National Guard as a new state agency, headed by an adjutant general appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding the National Guard.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

I'm aligned with The Missouri State Democratic Party on their "NO" recommendation on Amd. 5

Constitutional Convention 
Submitted by John R. Ashcroft, Secretary of State, State of Missouri

Shall there be a convention to revise and amend the Constitution?

A “yes” vote will require the governor to call an election of delegates to serve at a convention for the purpose of revising or amending the Missouri Constitution. Any revisions or amendments will then be put to a vote of the people for their consideration.

A “no” vote will mean no constitutional convention will be held.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

Learn more about what changes that would mean for Missouri should it pass in this great piece by The Missouri Independent

More from St Louis Public Radio on this issue.

I'm aligned with The Missouri State Democratic Party on their "NO" recommendation on this Constitutional Convention Question.

SLPS Board of Education (vote for two)

DR. J. L. QUINONES - Longtime educational advocate, Quinones ran previously for school board in 2021
EMILY HUBBARD - Endorsed by NPE Action and Local 420, AFL-CIO unions
DONNA R. JONES - Jones was first elected in 2006 and is currently Board Secretary, also endorsed by AFT & AFL-CIO unions
WILLIAM [BILL] MONROE - Monroe previously served on the board prior to 2017
DAVID L. JACKSON, JR. - Jackson has previously served on the board prior to 2015

Here's an article from The Post-Dispatch in 2017 about the past state of the board.

Local teacher's union AFT 420 as well as AFL-CIO, the STL Labor Council, and, Solidarity with SLPS have endorsed both Jones and Hubbard. Personally, I will follow their endorsements.

So yes, this is a looooong ballot. Be ready to vote, make your plan and if you can, take advantage of that no-excuse absentee voting starting two weeks before Election day! Happy Voting!

9-13-22 Special Election: President of the BoA

** UPDATE 8/31/22*****************

Regular polling locations won't be open for this election. You will need to choose one of 15 Special Voting Centers across the city to cast your ballot or you can vote absentee in person with no excuse needed between now and the election.  See the full list of polling locations.

***********************************

It's a busy election year in St. Louis city. Here's a bit more about the upcoming Special Primary Municipal Election for the vacancy of President of the Board of Aldermen (BoA).

This President of the BoA is the only thing on your ballot. 

A little background...

After the resignation of Lewis Reed, we have a vacancy to fulfill the remainder (unexpired) term of the President of the BoA which expires in the Spring of 2023.*

The Special Primary Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. This will be a primary under the new Approval Voting System  (Prop D) --  a non-partisan primary where the top two candidates will move on to the General election. 

After the disqualification of Mark Kummer, there are only two candidates in this race. Meaning, that both MEGAN ELLYIA GREEN, and JACK COATAR will move on to the General Municipal Election on November 8, 2022. 

The Post Dispatch has a nice overview of the Election here "There’s an election in St. Louis this week. Will it matter?"

Megan Green ran unsuccessfully for President of the BoA in 2019. She finished a close third place to both Lewis Reed and former senator, Jamilla Nasheed in March 2019. Green has served as Alderperson of the 15th ward (Tower Grove South) since 2014, easily winning her re-election in 2021 with 67.3% of the vote. She also ran for MO Senate District 5, losing by only about 1,000 votes in the August 2020 Primary to Steve Roberts. Green has also earned the endorsement of Mayor Jones and Congresswoman Cori Bush.

You can learn more about Megan Green on her website here.

Jack (John) Coatar has served as the Alderperson for Ward 7 (Soulard/Downtown) since 2015. He narrowly held off a challenge from Shedrick Kelley in April 2021 retaining his seat by only 122 votes. This will be the first city-wide office Coatar is seeking. He also sued to challenge the residency requirements of challenger Mark Kummer, ultimately getting him disqualified from this race. Coatar has the endorsement of former Mayors Slay and Krewson.

You can learn more about Jack Coatar on his website here.

See how both of these candidates have voted on key issues in the city by looking at the BoA Board Bill Votes on the city website. You can also learn more about any of the Alder's sponsored bills or committee assignments on this site.

This will also be the first election since the passage of HB 1878 -- there's a ton of stuff packed into this bill (more on that later) but for now, be ready to meet new photo ID requirements and in a bit of good news: utilize two weeks of early in-person absentee voting. This new law goes into effect on August 28, 2022 - so it will be in place during this Special Election.

Here's some highlights of the new law from our friends at STLPR:

Under the law, acceptable photo identification includes a non-expired Missouri driver’s license or state ID. Other approved forms of ID would include non-expired passports and photo military IDs, as well as other documents.

Scheduling a special election for this President of the BoA hasn't been without criticism  -- I agree with the statement made a while back by former Mayoral candidate and current Ward 20 Alderwoman Cara Spencer about it. Hopefully, this can all be avoided the next time around.

*President BoA is a 4-year term, elected in March/April Municipal elections along with even-numbered wards of the BoA. Because redistricting has just taken place, March/April 2023 elections will have alderpersons running for every one of the new consolidated 14 wards in STL City - even-numbered wards will be for a 4-year term, odd-numbered wards will be 2-year terms resulting in the staggered odd/even Alder elections you may be accustomed to.

Your August 2nd Primary Election Ballot

We've got more elections this year, Saint Louis City. The next one is a Primary Election to be held on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. **Please check your polling location as the new ward/precinct maps are in effect and your polling place may have changed.**

On election day, you will be asked which one of six ballot styles you want – Republican, Democrat, Constitution, Libertarian, Green Party, or Non-Partisan (only the issues). In this blog, we'll only be looking at the Democratic candidates with links out to their campaign websites.

US Senator

Lewis Rolen (D)
Gena Ross (D)
Carla Coffee Wright (D)
Josh Shipp (D)
Spencer Toder (D) - Endorsed by Pro-Choice Missouri and STL Young Dems
Lucas Kunce (D) - Endorsed by Pro-Choice Missouri and 4th Ward Democrats (24WPD) - read the statement on the attack ad from Busch-Valentine here
Jewel Kelly (D)
Clarence (Clay) Taylor (D) 
Pat Kelly (D)
Trudy Busch Valentine (D) - read more on endorsements here
Ronald (Ron) William Harris (D)

This race is to replace the current Senate seat held by Roy Blunt (R) who has decided not to seek another term. Personally, I have endorsed Lucus Kunce in this race.

MO State Auditor

Dr. Alan Green - unopposed in Primary

US Rep District 1

Ron Harshaw
Michael Daniels
Cori Bush - incumbent - see Rep Cori's official website here
Earl Childress
Steve Roberts - read more on credible rape/assault allegations here

I have endorsed Rep. Cori Bush in this race.

MO State Senate District 4

Karla May - unopposed in Primary

State Rep District 82

Donna M.C. Baringer  - unopposed

State Rep District 84

Wiley "Chip" Price IV - incumbent
Del Taylor

In our ward, depending on where you live, you will only see either HD82 or HD84 on your ballot. HD 82 is precincts 04/06 (Ellendale), 04/07 (Clifton Heights), 04/08, 04/09, and 04/10 (Lindenwood Park). HD 84 is precincts 04/01 (Hi-Pointe), 04/02 (Clayton-Tamm), 04/03 & 04/03 (Cheltenham), and 04/05 Franz Park -- I have endorsed Rep. Wiley Price in this race.

STL City

Collector of Revenue, License Collector, and Recorder of Deeds all unopposed in the Primary

Prop S - vote "YES" for a $160 million, zero tax rate change bond issue for SLPS improvements

Prop F - vote "YES" to support changing the city charter to increase the maximum fine for violations of city ordinances regarding protection of environmental conditions from $500 to $1,000.

Both these ballot issues have also been endorsed by the ward organization and the St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee.

Polls will be open from 6am to 7pm on Tuesday, August 2nd. Make a plan to vote now! Remember to check your polling location as it may have changed. New voter ID laws do not take effect till after this election. More on that to come...

April 5, 2022 STL City Special Election

 STL City, we've got a special election coming up on April 5, 2022.

There are only two things on your April 5th ballot - Prop R, which is a city charter amendment, and a Bond Election. Both are Yes/No votes.

PROP R

Prop R is an initiative petition campaign Reform Saint Louis from Show Me Integrity. This is the same group that back in 2020 worked to back Prop D (Approval Voting in St Louis City Primary Elections). Be sure to read the Full language here or it will also be posted at your polling location. One important note, the third bullet speaking to ward boundary maps would NOT apply to our current redistricting/ward reduction boundary maps. Should this initiative pass, it would apply after our next Census.

Ballot Language:

Shall Article IV of the City of St. Louis Charter be amended to: 

 * Prohibit Aldermen from taking actions on matters pending before the Board of Aldermen where they have a personal or financial conflict of interest; 

 * Require that Aldermen's financial disclosure statements be open to the public; 

 * Have ward boundary maps drawn by an independent citizens commission after each decennial census; and 

 * Prohibit the Board of Aldermen from changing voter-enacted voting methods for municipal offices without first submitting such changes to the voters?

BOND ELECTION

Yes on Prop 1 Website

Read more about the Capital Improvement Bond from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The measure would not trigger a property tax increase and the bonds could be financed using the city’s current tax rate, officials said.

A summary attached to the bill says the city’s backlog of unmet infrastructure needs greatly exceed the amount of federal money expected by the city in the near future." 

"Among supporters is Comptroller Darlene Green. “The reality is the city has many, many needs and while it’s wonderful we have so much money coming from federal grants, we also have the ability within the city’s current tax rate to issue bonds without raising taxes,” said Tyson Pruitt, a spokesman for Green."

(St Louis Post Dispatch)

Ballot language:

Shall the following be adopted: 

Proposition to issue bonds of The City of St. Louis, Missouri in an amount not to exceed Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000) for all or a portion of the following purposes: 

(1) improving, resurfacing, repaving and/or repairing streets; 

(2) designing and constructing public safety facilities; 

(3) designing and constructing pedestrian and bicycle transportation facilities; 

(4) maintaining and improving the safety and security of correctional facilities and improving public safety systems; 

(5) providing local matching share funds, where applicable and necessary, to utilize federal funds in furtherance of any of the cited projects herein; 

(6) replacing, improving, renovating and maintaining buildings, bridges, and equipment of the City of St. Louis, such as neighborhood recreation centers and firehouses; and 

(7) paying for expenses associated with the issuance of such bonds. If this proposition is approved, the property tax levy is estimated to remain unchanged. 

###

Polls are open 6am to 7pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Ward & Precinct numbers are the same as our previous election. The new redistricted maps are not in place for this election. Check your polling location here.

The 24th Ward Democrats, by a vote of their paid membership, have endorsed a YES vote on both of these issues. The St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee has endorsed NO on R, and YES on Prop 1. Personally, as your Committeewoman, I will be voting as the StLDCC has endorsed.