St. Louis and Missouri politics, history, gardening. Statehood for St. Louis! Or 103rd Illinois county!
As St. Louis City election returns come in, you can check your ward to see who legally bought access to the Board President and your new Alder here.
Campaign finance laws are completely useless under a system that allows legal money laundering, and makes conflict of interest laws a moot point, and a culture of ignoring the ethical lapses of leaders in order to feel like part of a winning team.
All New Ward Profiles have been updated with both Primary Election Results and campaign finance information for Board President and Alder candidates. There’s info toward the top of each page as well as each candidate’s profile.
I chose to not use percentage of votes because Tuesday the Election Board changed percentages to the Approval Rating percentages. Those do not add up to 100% because voters may “approve” of more than one candidate in the Primary. It’s too big a hassle to explain what it all means.
Under the City’s Approval Voting system, the top two candidates from the Primary advance to the General Election.
Under a 50% +1 to avoid run off system, 5 of 14 Alder races would not need a General Election. Shane Cohn would be the winner in 3rd Ward; Joe Vollmer in 5th Ward; Daniela Velázquez in 6th Ward; Shameem Clark-Hubbard in 10th Ward; and Laura Keys in 11th Ward.
St. Louis City New Ward Profiles have been updated with 8 Days Before Primary Reports, Amended Reports, and 24 Hour Later Expenditure Reports for Board President, Alders and Alder candidates, School Board Members and School Board candidates, Candidate PACs, Ward PACs, Political Party Committeepeople, other elected officials, former elected officials who still have accounts.
Next up, I will add Primary Election Results.
New campaign finance information will be added as it comes in and I have time or inclination to do so. No one really cares about campaign money unless it is damaging to an opponent, which really blows.
8 Day Before General Election Report. Close: 3/23/2023. Due: 3/27/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. Noon Friday, Missouri Ethics Commission will conduct a webinar on how to complete this report.
30 Day After Primary Election Report. Close: 4/1/2023. Due: Due: 4/6/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.
Mandatory April Quarterly Report. Close: 3/31/2023. Due: 4/17/2023.
30 Day After Election Report. Close: 4/29/2023. Due: 5/4/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If this report is required, it must be filed prior to taking office. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.
Additional Campaign Finance Reporting
The New Ward Profiles include up-to-date campaign finance information for most St. Louis City Alder candidates and ward organizations/political action committees.
Most instead of all because the reports are constantly changing with amended reports and late contribution or late expenditure filings with Missouri Ethics Commission. It’s very hard to keep up with.
There really ought to be a law against raising and spending money the last week of election. Get it done before then. Make that public at least five days before elections. Make it apply to candidates, political action committees, political parties.
Heartbreaking for me, personally, all the candidates taking money from the captains of industry and recipients of corporate welfare known as Civic Progress and Great White Fathers via 21st Century St. Louis PAC. Each accepted $2,600.
New 2nd Ward: 16th Ward Tom Oldenburg
New 3rd Ward: 25th Ward Alder Shane Cohn
New 5th Ward: 10th Ward Alder Joe Vollmer
New 6th Ward: Daniela Velazquez
New 8th Ward: 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer
New 9th Ward: 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras and Michael Browning
New 11th Ward: 21st Ward Alder Laura Keys
New 13th Ward: 27th Ward Alder Pam Boyd
New 14th Ward: 5th Ward Alder James Page and State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge
Also: Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darlene Green, Board President Megan Green
6 pm Tonight/Thursday New 8th Ward Alder Candidate Forum at Epiphany UCC Church, 2911 McNair, Benton Park.
Moderated by St. Louis League of Women Voters.
Unfortunately, it will only be streamed on Book of Faces
New 8th Ward stretches down the City’s Mississippi Riverfront from Near North to Bellerive Park in Carondelet. It includes parts of current 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 20th, and 25th Wards and is the result of Census Redistricting and Ward Reduction.
Candidates for New 8th Ward Alder include:
Shedrick “Nato Caliph” Kelley lives in McKinley Heights and is a financial analyst at Wells Fargo and hip hop artist/emcee. In 2021, Kelley came within 134 votes (5.5%) of beating incumbent Old 7th Ward Alder Jack Coatar, who is sitting out this election.
Coatar lives in Soulard and is an attorney at Spencer Fane’s Litigation, Governmental Affairs, and Real Estate Practice. He lost a bid for higher office last November, running for Board of Alder President against Old 15th Ward Alder Megan Green. Green won by 1,417 votes (5.5%). Coatar barely won in his home ward, New 8th Ward, by 118 votes.
Old 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer lives in Gravois Park and is senior vice president for Community and Economic Development at St. Louis Bank. She ran for Mayor in 2021, losing to Treasurer Tishaura Jones by 2,301 votes (5%).
Former Old 9th Ward Alder Ken Ortmann lives in Benton Park and owns a bar in Soulard. He lost his 2021 re-election bid to Dan Guenther by 674 votes (31.1%). Old 9th Ward Alder Guenther, also of Benton Park, chose not to run in this year.
Also see New 8th Ward Profile for information on candidate campaign finances.
These are predictions for March 7th St. Louis City Alder Primary Election, not who I wish or would like to see headed to April 4th General Election.* I would be happy to see some of these predictions proven wrong.
In this election, voters may vote for as many candidates as they want and the top two candidates will advance to the General Election.
Board President Megan Green drew no opponent for this election and that hurts some candidates, I think. That, along with potential weather problems, could drive turnout very low. The result could be the candidates who drag the most family and friends to the polls, the extra super loyal who would walk thru fire or a snow storm for them, providing the win by a few dozen votes. That has heavily influenced some of my predictions.
1st Ward: Alder Anne Schweitzer and deputy sheriff Tony Kirchner. I say Kirchner, instead of Republican Matthew Kotraba, because Kirchner is endorsed by SLPOA.
2nd Ward: Alder Tom Oldenburg and Republican former cop Phill Menendez because St. Louis Hills is Republican and has a cop fetish. I do appreciate Katie Bellis running and giving voters a choice.
3rd Ward: Alder Shane Cohn. No one else is running. Predicting Cohn also wins General Election.
4th Ward: Alder Bret Narayan and Alder Joe Vacarro. Photographer Casey Otto does not have a campaign account filed with MEC.
5th Ward: Alder Joe Vollmer and salon owner Helen Petty are the only candidates on ballot.
6th Ward: FleishmanHillard VP Daniela Velázquez and former Alder, former Recorder of Deeds Jennifer Florida are the only candidates on ballot.
7th Ward: School Board Member Alisha Sonnier and St. Louis Priory School Equity Director Jon-Pierre Mitchom. Former Board President Lewis Reed is not much help to Cedric Redmon these days.
8th Ward: Alder Cara Spencer and former Alder Ken Ortmann. If business analyst and hip hop artist Shedrick Kelley were running against Alder Jack Coatar again, my prediction would be different. I think the addition of the rest of conservative and wealthier Lafayette Square via redistricting to the new ward and “vote for as many as you want” reform hurts Kelley this time.
9th Ward: Alder Michael Gras and grant specialist Michael Browning. Alder Tina Pihl has been pretty much abandoned by the so-called progressives who helped elect her.
10th Ward: Alder Shameem Clark-Hubbard and realtor Emmett Coleman are the only candidates on the ballot.
11th Ward: Alder Laura Keys and former US Senate candidate Carla Wright are the only candidates on ballot.
12th Ward: Alder Sharon Tyus and beauty supply business owner Tashara Earl. Tyus is a household name and Earl is backed by State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins. 1st Ward Committeewoman Yolanda Brown lives in same neighborhood as Tyus, but I don’t picture any strategic voting in that neighborhood to vote for both in Primary.
13th Ward: I have no idea and I am not pulling a prediction out of my ass to make this blog post tidy.
14th Ward: Alder Brandon Bosley and Alder James Page. Bosley has the Bosley Family base and Alder Page has his Downtown base. Ebony Washington has her Hubbard Family base but only makes it to General Election if there is more Absentee voting shenanigans. State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge is putting a lot of money in digital.
All New Ward Profiles here. Updating for recent MEC reporting will start Monday..
*Disclosure: I gave $100 to 7th Ward candidate Alisha Sonnier and $100 to Mayor Tishaura Jones this month. Those are the only MEC reported donations that I’ve made recently.
40 Days Before Election campaign finance report information and other committee changes have been added to the New Ward Profiles.
Mostly, these are updates to candidate for Alder and changes to ward committees.
Next up are 8 Days Before Election Reports: Due February 27th. Required only if committee 1) had expenses (paid or incurred) or 2) donated to another committee. The closing date for this report is February 23rd.
The New Ward Profiles WILL NOT be updated with:
Contributions and expenditures reported in these filings are included in the next report filed by the committee. There are too many candidates in this election cycle for one person (me) to keep up with these kinds of filings.
UPDATED
Found the money. Alder Brandon Bosley’s campaign is using a political action committee not yet filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.
Literature and yard signs promoting his candidacy have been printed and are in use with a “Paid for by the 14th Ward Democratic Organization.”
But the only 14th Ward organization active in MEC database is the one serving pre-ward reduction 14th Ward in Bevo, Princeton Heights, and Southampton neighborhoods.
Money has been spent or debt created on Bosley’s behalf without reporting it to MEC in a timely fashion. The Treasurer is Linda Primer, who is also the Deputy Treasurer for Citizens for Brandon Bosley. There is no arms length between the two entities. Definitely collaboration between the two.
Lots more details below.
Original Post
New 14th Ward Profile is updated with 40 Days Before Alder Election reports.
3rd Ward Alder Brandon Bosley did not make a January Report or a 40 Days Out Report. His October 2022 Report was Limited Activity. His last report with any activity was April 2021 when he had $100 on hand. It’s not the sign of someone running a legit campaign.
January Reports were optional and 40 Days Out Reports were due only if committee 1) accepted contributions (money or in-kind) or 2) had expenses (paid or incurred).
The Bosley Family political action committee- 3rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization- hasn’t reported activity since April 2021 when it had $20.21 on hand.
Alder Bosley’s mother and Treasurer- 3rd Ward Committeewoman Lucinda Frazier- registered a new 14th Ward Democratic Organization as a nonprofit with Missouri Secretary of State, but not MEC. Very curious.
Alder Bosley’s Deputy Treasurer- Linda Primer- is also Treasurer for 3rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization and Civil PAC, as well as Deputy Treasurer for Bosley’s sister- State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley
Civil PAC hasn’t reported any activity since July 2022. It paid the 3rd Ward organization $2,500 for a lit drop in 2020. State Rep. Bosley last reported activity in December 2022, including $800 to political consultant Tim Person.
Some of Person’s previous clients include Jack Coatar’s disastrous run for Board President, former Mayor Lyda Krewson, former Board President Lewis Reed, former County Executive candidate Mark Montovani, former State Rep. Wiley Price, Heartland Action PAC, and Civil PAC.
Tim Person isn’t just a political consultant. He is Human Resources Director for St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler. Person replaced a Recorder employee of many years who was fired by Butler without cause the day he was sworn into office. She and other employees, also fired for not working for his election, sued and taxpayers paid out a six figure settlement.
We’re also talking about the same Michael Butler who chairs the Missouri Democratic Party (also sued by former employee and Party donors had to pay a settlement) and hired Person to do fundraising. Same Michael Butler who owns an all you can drink for one price bar, same bar State Rep. Bosley has worked at or still does. Same bar she held a re-election fundraiser at last year.
Butler also serves on the Board for Communities First, a nonprofit founded by Lucinda Frazier (Alder Bosley’s mother), who is also Butler’s Chief of Staff. The nonprofit’s address is used by State Rep. Bosley on her campaign finance reports and her last candidate filing at Secretary of State. It’s also been used as a default address for 3rd Ward/Bosley Family related campaign workers.
It’s a good guess that Person will be trying to help elect Alder Bosley to the new 14th Ward seat, if Bosley is actively running. It’s also a good guess that money to help that effort might come via Civil PAC.
More intrigue- State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, one of four candidates for the 14th Ward seat, is a former employee of Michael Butler’s Recorder of Deeds office and he donated $2,600 last year to Communities First.
St. Louis, biggest small town in America.
New Ward Profiles have been updated for any candidate for Alder, elected officials and former elected officials (state legislature, City citywide and Alders, citywide County officers, School Board), ward organizations, party committeepeople, who filed January Reports with Missouri Ethics Commission. January Reports were optional.
The next filing are Or 40 Days Before Election Reports, due January 26th. They are required only if committee 1) accepted contributions (money or in-kind), 2) had expenses (paid or incurred), or 3) donated to another committee. The closing date for this report is January 21st.
Updated with Board of Alders Vote.
Some St. Louis City employees are about to get a very cushy gig- $72,000 a year for 32 hours of work (counting lunch and breaks), plus a $5,000 expense account (you can donate to your church or ward nonprofit if you want), health insurance, pension, paid holidays. You can mostly work remotely and it’s OK to also work at as a bank vice president, a public relations consultant, an attorney, or own a business. Unlike other City employees, no timesheet will be required for the hours worked, the honor system will be in use.
What position do you apply for to get this great deal? Alder. Sorry. No applications will be taken for another two years.
The full Board of Alders voted Friday (January 20th) to increase their salaries and enshrine their elected office as a position requiring some of their time but not all of their time. The vote was 17 Yes, 8 No, 1 Abstention, 2 Absent.
Board Bill 119, as amended by BOA Personnel Committee, was on the Perfection Calendar, the first of two votes toward making it law. It will likely be approved- Third Reading vote- nest Friday (January 27th).
The ordinance will take affect after the April 4th General Election when City voters will elect fourteen Alders to new redistricted wards under ward reduction.
The ballot for March 7th Primary includes 11 of 14 wards with one or more current Alders running for the office. To be clear, Alders are voting for their own pay raise.
Under City Charter, “The mayor shall devote his entire time to the duties of his office.”
Voters should add similar language City Charter by amendment for both Board President and Alders.
Friday’s vote by New Ward
New 1st Ward
Yes: 12th Ward Alder Bill Stephens (not running), former librarian
No: 13th Ward Alder Anne Schweitzer (running), campaign consultant at Public Eye
New 2nd Ward
Yes: 14th Ward Alder Carol Howard (not running), former St. Louis Public Schools principal
No: 16th Ward Alder Tom Oldenburg (running), vice president for US Bancorp Community Development Corp
New 3rd Ward
No: 11th Ward Alder Jimmy Lappe (not running), Director of Data & Research, Missouri Jobs With Justice
Abstain: 25th Ward Alder Shane Cohn (running), owner of 4664 Tennessee LLC
New 4th Ward
No: 23rd Ward Alder Joe Vaccaro (running), former car wash owner; 24th Ward Alder Bret Narayan (running), attorney
New 5th Ward
No: 10th Ward Alder Joe Vollmer (running), owner of Milo’s Bocce Garden, co-owner TLJ Investments (funeral home), owner of TLSJ (commercial real estate), landlord
New 6th Ward
Yes: Board President/former 15th Ward Alder Megan Green (running), Adjunct Professor at Washington University and owner of MEG Consulting; 8th Ward Alder Annie Rice (not running), attorney
New 7th Ward
Yes: 6th Ward Alder Christine Ingrassia (not running), paddle guide for Big Muddy Adventures
New 8th Ward
Yes: 7th Ward Alder Jack Coatar (not running), attorney at Spencer Fane’s Litigation, Governmental Affairs, and Real Estate Practice; 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer (running), senior vice president for Community and Economic Development at St. Louis Bank
No: 9th Ward Alder Dan Guenther (not running),
New 9th Ward
Yes: 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras (running), attorney and assistant prosecutor for Florissant Mo
Absent: 17th Ward Alder Tina Pihl (running), landlord
New 10th Ward
Yes: 26th Ward Alder Shameem Clark Hubbard (running), stylist and former salon owner
New 11th Ward
Yes: 21st Ward Alder Laura Keys (running), clinical data coordinator for Biomedical Systems and landlord
Absent: 19th Ward Alder Marlene Davis (not running)
New 12th Ward
Yes: 1st Ward Alder Sharon Tyus (running), attorney; 4th Ward Alder Dwinderlin Evans (not running), landlord
No: 18th Ward Alder Jesse Todd (not running), retired
New 13th Ward
Yes: 2nd Ward Alder Lisa Middlebrook (running), manager of Hope Home Healthy Care; 22nd Ward Alder Norma Walker (running), owner of Belt Loop Trucking and landlord; Pam Boyd (running), dietary manager at The Valley Stonebridge Community
New 14th Ward
Yes: 3rd Ward Alder Brandon Bosley (running), owner/developer of New Black Wall Street 314, hip hop/rap artist/producer at Bawsomemusic, owner of Focused on Family Entertainment; 5th Ward Alder James Page (running), executive director for Downtown St. Louis Neighborhood Association, retired from U.S. Post Office
Further reading: St. Louis aldermen tee up a 100% pay increase for next session by Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
The Great State of St. Louis 