About this column:
A look around the region at the week that was in electoral politics and a glimpse of the week to come.
This column took note a couple of weeks ago of a bid to designate St. Louis Brewery and the Boulevard Brewing Company as the official brewers of Missouri. That effort was all well and good, but it pales in comparison to an effort to enshrine Jim the Wonder Dog as the official historical state dog of Missouri. For those who may not know, Jim the Wonder Dog was an amazing canine from Marshall, MO. Legend has it that Jim the Wonder Dog could understand multiple languages and correctly guess the winner of sporting events. And according to former Columbia Tribune photographer Jenna Isaacson …
The wee hours of Thursday morning brought about big chances for state Senate districts in St. Louis County. The tentative document – detailed in coverage from the St. Louis Beacon – means that Sen. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) is now in a district with Sen. Brian Nieves, (R-Washington). And districts represented by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-Lemay) and John Lamping (R-Ladue) also saw significant changes. If this sounds familiar, that's because the map had to be redrawn after the original document was declared unconstitutional. More analysis will surely come over the next days and weeks. For now, …
The word “non-binding” was thrown around often when either previewing or analyzing Missouri’s GOP primary. And with good reason: The real battle for delegates will take place at the party’s March caucuses. Although former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum easily won Missouri's Republican primary, it doesn't necessarily ensure that he'll get the Show Me State's delegates. Santorum's primary victory – along with wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses – helped revive the former Pennsylvania senator’s campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The delegate situation will be decided at the…
As noted numerous times before, the GOP process for selecting presidential delegates is not exactly straightforward. Even though there’s a primary in February, as of now, delegates will be selected at caucuses held in March. In attempt to sort the situation out for area Republicans, Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) is planning a “Presidential Primary Preview” at Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country. The event will feature an explanation of the state’s presidential delegate situation by Missouri Republican Party political director Robert Knodell. In addition to a straw poll and …
Every so often, Gov. Jay Nixon taps some notable names to fill the nearly endless stream of posts in state government. Wednesday was no exception, as the Democratic governor picked several familiar faces from the St. Louis metro area for appointments. For example, Nixon appointed Crestwood resident Jim Avery to fill a slot for the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Avery, who served as a state representative for Crestwood and Sunset Hills in the 2000s, previously was the chairman of the state board of mediation. According to the governor's office, Avery will review administrative …
It’s hard to believe, but 2011 is only a few short days away from ending, and the natural human inclination is to engage in retrospection. As is the case near the end of December, it’s hard to pick a particular issue or event that defined an entire year. In particular, 2011 featured fierce fights over redistricting, a devastating tornado in Joplin, delicate political maneuvering and a large dose of presidential politics heading into 2012. And even though 2011 was a nonelection year for most folks, there were still some notable contests that caught some interest. While the written word is a …
House Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller—a Willard Republican running for secretary of state—will be holding a fundraising event next Thursday in Town and Country. The event at the Cedar Springs Clubhouse will be hosted by Rep. Sue Allen (R-Town and Country). In addition to a slew of Republican state representatives, the event will also feature House Majority Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka) and Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis County). Jones is expected to become the next House Speaker if Republicans retain control on that chamber next year. Schoeller is in a crowded race to replace Democratic Secretary…
Former Republican state senator Jim Talent may have decided to skip running for office this election cycle. But that doesn’t mean he’s out of the electoral arena. Talent, a Des Peres native who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2007, was one of numerous supporters of Republican and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney who spent part of last week attacking former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich has surged in the polls as of late, making him the latest unlikely GOP primary frontrunner. “The Speaker’s running as a reliable and trusted conservative leader and what we’re here to …
For the most part, last week’s great redistricting earthquake threw a number of lawmakers into the same state legislative districts. But rather than spurring primary fights, at least some incumbents are making plans to move. Such was the case with Sen. Jane Cunningham, a Chesterfield Republican who was drawn into the same district with Sen. John Lamping (R-Ladue). But instead of a confrontation, Cunningham instead will run in the nearby 27th District, which features parts of western St. Louis County and northern Jefferson County. Similar situations happened across the state and region with …
With the Republican nomination for governor all shook up, so to speak, there’s increased speculation that Ed Martin might bolt from the 2nd Congressional District race. Martin didn’t help pare down curosity when he went on KMOX to say that he would consider switching races once again during the election cycle. Martin already bowed out of the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate after U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) decided to run for the nation's greatest deliberative body. Beyond having to answer for his propensity to switch races midstream, Martin may have to deal with yet another well-funded …
Every ten years, the truly dedicated political adherents become obsessed with maps. That fixation isn’t necessarily because they agree with this writer that cartography is awesome. Rather every ten years, states have to reconfigure their congressional maps to conform to population changes showcased in the U.S. Census. And often times, the process isn’t exactly neat and tidy. The redistricting process was the subject of a CNN special earlier this week entitled “Gerry-rigged: Ignoring the American Voter.” The report took a close look at “gerrymandering,” which involves drawing districts that …
It seems that with each passing week, there’s a new main challenger to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s front-runner status. First it was Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota). Then it was Texas Gov. Rick Perry. And later, it was Georgia businessman Herman Cain. For various reasons, all of these candidates slipped in the polls after the media spotlight became white hot. This week is almost déjà vu all over again, so to speak, with the case of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. After suffering some setbacks during the early portions of his campaign, Gingrich has seen a rise in his poll …
It's still early, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign may be defined by one word: Oops. The longtime chief executive of the Lone Star State came into the 2012 race for the White House with high expectations. But he fell behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney after a series of substandard debate performances. And another widely panned debate effort on Wednesday may have driven Perry further down in the proverbial hole. That’s because Perry fumbled badly when he tried to name three cabinet-level executive agencies he would eliminate if he were president. He named two—the …
Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain could show that when it comes to running for the White House, experience winning elections matter. The Georgia Republican was arguably one of the biggest surprises in the Republican race for the White House, winning a Florida straw poll and taking the lead in many national opinion surveys. That was a marked change from earlier this year when Cain visited Jefferson City, a time when he was an also-ran in the GOP field. But on Sunday, Cain’s campaign was rocked to the core by a Politico article that reported two women complained about Cain’s …
Candidate filing began this week for the state’s presidential primary amid questions about whether the contest will have any bearing on choosing presidential delegates. As of press time, four Republican presidential aspirants have signed up for next February’s contest. That list includes former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Georgia businessman Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and St. Louis resident Michael Meheen. Republicans opted to select their delegates through a caucus process after the legislature failed to pass legislation moving the primary from February to March. …
Ann Wagner wowed political observers with her latest fundraising quarter. So much so, in fact, that at least one politico speculated that she might be eyeing another contest. Wagner, a Ballwin Republican who previously served as Missouri Republican Party chairwoman and ambassador to Luxemburg, raised $532,093.07 in the 3rd quarter for her 2nd Congressional District bid. That was far more than what the other GOP contender for the seat, Republican attorney Ed Martin, brought in during the fundraising quarter. “I am honored to have earned the trust and support of so many citizens across the 2nd …
As former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues his comeback in the polls, he’s also picking up support from Republicans in the Show Me State. Romney's campaign – which already grabbed endorsements from U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo. – rolled out a press release this week showcasing more endorsements from Republican politicians. That includes a few from the St. Louis area. “I am honored to have these Missouri leaders behind my campaign,” Romney said in a statement. “With their help, I look forward to getting America back to work. Earning the support of …
When is it too early to get fired up about a congressional race? If you’re addicted to the sweet, sweet nectar that is Missouri politics, the answer is never. Still, “early” was admittedly the first word that came to mind with debate season starting up between GOP congressional aspirants Ed Martin and Ann Wagner. The two are running for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County. For what it’s worth, filing for the race doesn’t begin until early next year. And the primary itself isn’t until August …
Missouri’s highest-ranking elected Republican threw his support this week behind Mitt Romney’s presidential bid. Romney’s campaign announced Tuesday that Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) would be leading an effort to get more congressional lawmakers to endorse the former Massachusetts governor. A press release from Romney’s campaign stated that Blunt will be “spearheading the campaign’s effort to secure the support of Republican members in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.” Blunt played a similar role during the 2000 election for then Texas Gov. George W. Bush when he was a …
As a fan of both politics and entertainment, I grudgingly admit sometimes imagining what my coverage routine would be like if celebrities were in public office. For instance, St. Louis County Council meetings would be a little bit more interesting if Cornell Haynes, Jr.—known to the world as Nelly—was pouring over the issues. And you couldn’t imagine my excitement if St. Charles County resident and professional wrestling superstar Randy Orton successfully ran for state representative. Because, you know, he’d go to the papers if he had to talk about a plan to the entice creation of a China Hub…
