Tag: Show Me Victories

Campaign $ and Millennium Hotel Deal

Cha Ching graphic with floating paper money

March 10th , 2025, A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC received $50,000 from The Lamar Johnson Collaborative, the architectural firm now working with Bob Clark’s Clayco and Gateway Arch Park Foundation on redevelopment of former Millennium Hotel. It’s Mayor Cara Spencer’s PAC, a way around campaign finance contribution limits.

Clayco contributed a total of $130,674.60 to the PAC in January-February. Those monies helped fund mailings produced by Mike Kelley‘s Show Me Victories and negative media against then Mayor Tishuara Jones.

Clark donated the maximum $2,600 to both Spencer and now Comptroller Donna Baringer this year. But he also donated $10,000 February 25th to 71 Percent PAC run by Kelley Group/Show Me Victories, political consultants.

The 71 Percent PAC paid $77,897.24 to Show Me Victories for digital ads and mailings supporting and opposing candidates. It supported the election of Spencer and Baringer as well as re-election of 11th Ward Alder Laura Keyes and losing 7th Ward Alder candidate Cedric Redmond. It opposed the re-election of Mayor Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green as well as 7th Alder Alisha Sonnier.

In 2019, then Alder Spencer co-sponsored Charter amendments against concealment of campaign donor true identity ( Board Bill 41) and against candidates accepting funds from donors seeking City contracts (Board Bill 40). Neither made it to the ballot.

In September, the Board of Alders passed and Spencer signed a redevelopment plan for Millennium Hotel. Board Bill 39 provides for 20 years of tax abatement (making St. Louis public school children pay for redevelopment) on the project as well as eminent domain use.

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.