Post-Election New 2nd Ward Profile Update

2nd Ward Alder Tom Oldenburg, City of St. Louis

This blog’s Profile page for St. Louis City’s New 2nd Ward has been updated with General Election results (all candidates and ballot issues) and post-election campaign finance reports filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.

You’ll notice that the winning Alder candidate is now listed under Public Officials Residing In New 2nd Ward and defeated candidate information has been moved toward bottom of the page. Eventually, the General and Primary Election info will move above those.

Also have added link to Neighborhoods in the new ward.

Winner of the April 4th Alder election in New 2nd Ward is U.S. Bank community development banker Tom Oldenburg, former 16th Ward Alder. Oldenburg came in first during the three candidate Primary and in the General Election earned 2,205 votes (59.76%).

Oldenburg filed one report in April. He raised another $10,565.26 including $4,400 from Labor Unions and $1,000 from Commerce Bank, $1,000 from attorney Jerry Schlichter, $500 each from Associated General Contractors and Missouri Restaurant Association, and $250 each from St. Louis Police Leadership Organization (sergeants and above) and former Mayor Lyda Krewson. He spent another $31,130 including $21,124.66 to Kelley Group/Show Me Victories. He has $18,857 on hand and $0 debt.

In addition to the contribution from the Police Leadership group, Oldenburg accepted $1,000 from St. Louis Police Officers Association in January.

Oldenburg’s General Election opponent, former police officer Phill Menendez, received no contributions from police groups. He earned 1,439 votes (39.00%) in the General Election. His April MEC report shows another $1,012.55 raised and $1,456.95 spent, including $185.50 raised from a raffle at The Christy that he paid $434.71 for catering. He has $2,605.39 on hand and $0 debt.

Katie Bellis, the third candidate for 2nd Ward Alder, the candidate who did not make it to the General Election, terminated her campaign committee this month. She spent $11,237.24, including $4,000 owed Dani Revord, $1,250 for campaign management by Morgan Lowe, and $1,287.50 to We Are Novella for graphic design.

82nd District State Rep. Donna Baringer, a resident of St. Louis Hills Neighborhood of New 2nd Ward and former 16th Ward Alder, filed an April Report showing $160 raised; $2,229 spent; $62,494.94 on hand; $0 debt. Baringer is term limited and cannot run in 2024. What to do with that campaign war chest?

Baringer’s next run would probably be citywide in 2024 for a county office, not a return to Board of Alders. It makes little sense financially now for Oldenburg to swap the new $72,000 municipal legislative salary for a $35,915 state legislative salary.

New 2nd Ward Regular Democratic Organization filed a hot mess for an April Report. They deleted their beginning balance, the previous $1,589.07 on hand, for new cycle. Just made it disappear. They raised $772 plus reported $636.94 In-Kind from Alder Oldenburg’s campaign committee. Then, under Miscellaneous Receipts, they reported the $1,117.07 transferred from old 16th Ward Democratic Organization and already reported by them in January.

Old 14th Ward Democratic Organization filed a Limited Activity Report for April.

The Republicans have no new ward organization in New 2nd Ward nor old ward organizations in Old 14th or 16th Wards.

Old 14th Ward Committeeman Matt Bell and Old 16th Ward Democratic Committeeman Steve Lenivy (also treasurer for St. Louis Democratic City Central Committee) both filed Limited Activity Reports. Both live in the Southampton Neighborhood in New 5th Ward.

Post-Election New 1st Ward Profile Update

1st Ward Alder Anne Schweitzer, City of St. Louis

This blog’s Profile page for St. Louis City’s New 1st Ward has been updated with General Election results (all candidates and ballot issues) and late, amended, and post-election campaign finance reports filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.

You’ll notice that the winning Alder candidate is now listed under Public Officials Residing In New 1st Ward and defeated candidate information has been moved toward bottom of the page. Eventually, the General and Primary Election info will move above those.

Also have added link to Neighborhoods in the new ward.

Winner of the April 4th Alder election in New 1st Ward is Anne Schweitzer, former 13th Ward Alder. Alder Schweitzer came in first during the three candidate Primary and earned 1,614 votes (52.02%) in the General Election.

Schweitzer filed three reports and one amended report in April. She raised $5,915 including $3,450 from Labor Unions and $500 from Pro Choice Missouri. She spent $12,437, most of it to Bouchard Gold Communications, Austin, Texas. She has $14,101.61 on hand and no debt.

Schweitzer’s General Election opponent, Deputy Sheriff Tony Kirchner, received 1,472 votes (47.4%). He filed an April Quarterly Report showing $5,200 raised, including $2,600 from Schnuck Markets’ Todd Schnuck and $2,600 from Lawyers of TIF Husch Blackwell. He spent $12,152.86 including $3,000 to G3 Strategies, run by Greg Christian, Public Information Officer at the City Sheriff’s Department and former 15th Ward Democratic Committeeman. He has $10,912.53 on hand and $2,000 debt. Look for him to file for office again.

Matthew E. Kotraba, the third candidate for 1st Ward Alder, the candidate who did not make it to the General Election, terminated his campaign committee and returned $835.94 to donors.

City Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly, a resident of New 1st Ward and Boulevard Heights Neighborhood, is sitting on a war chest of $446,845.03. His April Report shows his campaign account earned $718.38 for the quarter. Daly spent $6,605.63 , $3,065.26 on food and beverages, often identified on the report as “entertainment,” including $1,096.83 at Bartolino’s South, $879.43 at four restaurants in Florida, $294.56 at Sam’s Club, and his committee made a $250 donation to the Prop C Charter Commission campaign.

81st District State Rep. Steve Butz, a resident of the Holly Hills Neighborhood of New 1st Ward, filed a, April Report showing no new contributions and $66,332.22 on hand, $32,500 debt. There was a rumor on Spoutible that Butz wanted to run against Mayor Tishaura Jones.

New 1st Ward still has no Democratic or Republican ward organizations (political action committee) filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.

Old 12th Ward Regular Democratic Organization filed a Limited Activity Report for April. This is Collector Daly’s ward PAC. In January, it had $833.47 on hand.

Old 13th Ward Regular Democratic Club, this is Old 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman Fred Wessels ward PAC, reported a $100 contribution from AFT Local 420 and $4,109.37 on hand.

The only Democratic committeeperson residing in New 1st Ward with a campaign committee filed with MEC, besides Collector Daly (12th Ward Committeeman), is Old 13th Ward Committeeman Fred Wessels, Holly Hills Neighborhood. Wessels is a former State Rep, former 13th Ward Alder, and former candidate for City Treasurer (the year Tishaura Jones, now Mayor, ran and won the Treasurer’s race). He reported no money raised or spent but has $1,477.45 on hand and no debt.

Former 13th Ward Alder Bill Stephens did not file an April Report. His campaign committee account at MEC says that he is running for State Rep 81st District in 2024 Democratic Primary.

Philomena Arnowitz, widow of the late Larry Arnowitz, former 13th Ward Alder, filed a lot of campaign reports- all Limited Activity- to get the account into compliance. The last report that wasn’t Limited Activity was July 2020 with $0 raised, $0 spent, $21,745.06 on hand, $0 debt.

Ward Profiles Now Have Election Results

Old black and white photo of St. Louis City Hall

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.

Campaign Finance Info Added to Ward Profiles

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.

Future campaign finance reports due/may be due:

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

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

Aldergeddon Campaign Finance Info

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

New Ward Profiles Updated

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:

48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

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.

Where’s Bosley’s Money?

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 Updated

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.

Who will lobby for less transparency now?

Special Tax District lobbyist Bill Kuehling terminated his lobbyist registration at Missouri Ethics Commission last month. Kuehling was first hired by St. Louis City’s Senior Citizens’ Services Fund Board while working at Thompson Coburn. He helped create the Senior Fund’s special property tax.

After he left the firm, the Senior Fund Board hired him to lobby the Missouri General Assembly to eliminate the statutory requirement that the Fund’s budget be approved by the Board of Alders.

Kuehling was successful in 2021 with an amendment added to House Bill 271 to remove oversight of the City’s Senior Fund. Senior Funds in all other counties must be approved by their county council or county commission.

The Senior Fund Board later honored State Rep. Donna Baringer and accused rapist State Senator Steve Roberts for handling the change.

Tax districts in St. Louis City- such as Senior Fund and Metropolitan Parks & Recreation (dba Great Rivers Greenway)- go on the ballot with promises to voters that Board of Alders have oversight over their budgets. Then they hire lobbyists to work with legislators to change state laws they are governed by, make them independent of local government.

Maybe Alex Kuehling at Rosenblum Goldenhersh will follow in his father’s footsteps and become a lobbyist as well as corporate welfare attorney.

Alex wrote the Fiscal Note for Board Bill 165 to create special tax districts for the hot mess known as Jefferson Arms. The sales and uses taxes created by Jefferson Arms Community Improvement District and the Jefferson Arms Transportation Development District are pledged to the redevelopment’s TIF.

Why are developers via their agents allowed to prepare the Fiscal Notes for their corporate welfare? A government office prepares the Fiscal Notes for legislation everywhere else.

For State legislation, the Missouri General Assembly’s Oversight Division prepares Fiscal Notes.

But Ordinance 70404 (Board Bill 63 sponsored by Alder Antonio French et al) requiring Fiscal Notes by the Board of Alders was poorly written or intentionally vague. Unlike the State’s Fiscal Note law, the City’s law does not specifically say who can shall and shall not write the document. Foxes are left to guard the henhouse.

ICYMI (Krewson and Keaveny) Because I Sure Did

Another run by Lyda?

Former St. Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson still has an active MEC account. Per her January 2023 Report, she has $337,460.92 on hand. Under expenses, she’s also still a client of Kelley Group, which recently ran the losing Board President campaign for Alder Jack Coatar.

Krewson’s MEC account says she is running for citywide office in the 8/6/2024 Primary Election. Citywide offices on that ballot include City Treasurer, City Sheriff, and City Circuit Attorney.

Krewson has been added to the New 9th Ward Profile page under Former Public Officials.

Lots of campaign money in New 10th Ward

It turns out former State Senator Joe Keaveny is sitting on $168,641.65. His MEC account says he is running statewide in 8/6/2024 Primary Election.

Keaveny’s replaced former State Senator Jeff Smith in 2009 after Smith resigned after pleading guilty to two congressional campaign related felonies. He was last on a ballot in 2014.

Keaveny has been added to the New 10th Ward Profile under Former Public Officials. Additional campaign finance information has also been added to the bios for State Senator Karla May and State Rep. Del Taylor on same page.

Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darlene Green, and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner all reside in New 10th Ward.

Also

St. Louis City War Chests has been revised to account for Krewson and Keaveny, who are now #2 and #4 on the list. The numbering has also been fixed. Keep those tips, addition s, corrections coming.

January 2023 Reports to MEC are starting to trickle in. They are optional reports, not mandatory. New Ward Profiles will be updated with new campaign finance info as they get filed and I have time (or an interest) to do so.