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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
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The following is a statement from Comptroller Darlene Green on the March 2007 primary:
"Congratulations to Lewis on this historic victory. I look forward to working with him on E & A and at the Board of Aldermen to continue moving the entire city forward. I'd like to thank Jim Shrewsbury for all his years of service to the city. I wish he and his staff well. Also, congratulations to Kacie Starr Triplett and all of the victorious aldermen."
Just days after the passing of political icon John Bass, voters in the 6th Ward began receiving a mailer featuring his image and words in support of his granddaughter, Kacie Starr Triplett, who is running for alderman.
As Triplett writes on her website, the mailer, which I designed*, was created before his death.
"While, I wish my grandfather were still here, I will continue to push forward and honor his legacy," she wrote.
Triplett is in a three-way race with Committeeman Patrick Cacchione and Christian Saller. The funeral for Senator Bass is today at 10:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist Parish, 4330 Shreve Ave. * Starr is a client of A D French & Associates
The following attack piece has been hitting the mailboxes of 22nd Ward voters. It claims to be from the "22nd Ward Democratic Press" and chronicles the still-ongoing voter fraud investigation spawning from the failed recall attempt against Alderman Jeffrey Boyd.
Click to enlarge
The piece also includes a mock interview with Jay Ozier, who is challenging Boyd in Tuesday's election. Questions include: "Mr. Ozier, is it true that you will do and say whatever it takes to be alderman?" and "Why should anyone vote for you after all the shame that you and Kenneth Jones have brought on the 22nd Ward and the City of St. Louis?"
Ozier was not actually asked these question nor gave the listed answers.
Seventh Ward Committeeman and Chairman of the City Democrats Brian Wahby has endorsed Alderman Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Reed is running agaist incumbent Jim Shrewsbury in the March 6th primary. According to his campaign literature, Shrewsbury has been endorsed by Wahby's committeewoman, State Sen. Maida Coleman.
Bill Haas, who currently has his name listed as a candidate for two different offices, is looking to simplify things a bit.
Haas says he'll be at the Board of Elections this morning to prepare the paperwork needed to get a judge to remove his name from the April school board ballot.
He says he now supports the two candidates endorsed by the teachers union and he will focus his attention on his campaign for alderman of the 18th Ward.
Last week we reported that the St. Louis Teachers Union Local 420 has endorsed Katherine Wessling and David Lee Jackson, Jr. for the two open seats on the school board.
Haas is running against 18th Ward Alderman Terry Kennedy in the March primary.
In the race to decide who will be the next alderman from the 6th Ward, according to the latest campaign finance reports, Kacie Starr Triplett has raised more that three times as her opponents, Patrick Cacchione and Christian Saller.
Triplett reported raising nearly $14,000 since October with $9,395.93 left in the bank. Her contributors included several local labor unions, Congressman Lacy Clay, former Congressman Bill Clay, former Clay aide Pearlie Evans, State Sen. Jeff Smith, and Richard Callow.
Cacchione raised just $1,980, but loaned his campaign $5,000 of his own money. Saller raised $1,555 during the same period.
UPDATE: A note from the Saller campaign says to look for finance reports later today that shows him (and probably Cacchione as well) adding "pretty dramatically" to his cash on-hand total. Will do.
UPDATE 2: Add to Saller's total an additional $5,715 raised between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20. Total raised $7,267. Total on hand: $5,697.09. Awaiting Cacchione's...
*Triplett is a client of A.D. French & Associates and her reports reflect $1,000 being paid during the period.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd is sitting in good position as he prepares for a rematch with his old 22nd Ward nemesis, Jay Ozier.
On his latest campaign finance report, Boyd shows more that $35,000 in the bank after raising $5,420 during the last quarter of 2006.
Ozier, Boyd's opponent in the March primary election, doesn't seem to have an active campaign committee and has not yet filed his finance reports. In a phone interview, Ozier said he plans to submit his report before tomorrow's deadline.
The upcoming contest is a rematch of their 2003 race which Boyd won by just nine votes.
When told how much cash Boyd reported on-hand, Ozier said he has not raised as much but "I've been getting quite a bit of support from the people and that's what it's all about."
Former 6th Ward Alderman Marit Clark has endorsed Committeeman Patrick Cacchione as the ward's next alderman.
"Patrick is the only individual that has the experience necessary to best serve the 6th Ward," Clark said in a campaign press release. Clark represented the ward for 15 years and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1997.
As we reported earlier, Cacchione has also been endorsed by the 6th Ward Democratic Organization.
According to sources in Kacie Starr Triplett's campaign, the 6th Ward aldermanic candidate has received the endorsement of the city's Police Officers Association. A press release is expected soon.
St. Louis City Police Officers Support Triplett for Alderman
Today, the organization representing St. Louis police officers announced their support of Kacie Starr Triplett.
"Kacie Starr Triplett has taken the time to really understand the importance of community policing and quality emergency services," said Sergeant Kevin Ahlbrand of the Police Officers’ Association. He continued, "We need people like Kacie Starr at the Board of Aldermen to fight to protect essential services and help us to reduce response times to emergencies in our community."
"With crime a pressing issue in our community, I am honored to have the support of our local police officers," said Kacie Starr Triplett.
The Saint Louis Police Officers' Association represents over 1,200 active members.
Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed and Kacie Starr Triplett, the woman looking to follow Reed in the Board of Aldermen, are both having fundraisers this week.
"An Evening With A Starr", a 'raiser for Triplett's 6th Ward campaign, is happening tonight at 5:30 at Van Goghz Martini Bar, 3200 Shenandoah. The night will feature Bommarito "Shooting Starr" wine and a signature "Starr" cocktail. The night's theme continues with the contributions -- a $25 gift is a Quasar, $100 is a Red Giant, and supporters go Supernova with $500 or more.
Then on Saturday supporters of Lewis Reed will be hosting a fundraiser at the newly renovated Field School Lofts, 4466 Olive Street, in the Central West End.
The event will feature a silent auction of works by local artists and music from D.J. Patti Thomas and Erika Johnson and the Kitchen. For more info, go to www.LewisReed.net.
If you know of any other fundraisers or campaign events this week, please email the info to editor@pubdef.net or fax to (314) 367-3429.
UPDATE: Not exactly a fundraiser, but the City Democrats will be gathering TONIGHT to watch Speaker Nancy Pelosi take her seat behind President Bush for the State of The Union Address. The place is The Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway, and the time is 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. (speech begins at 8:00). Free pizza appetizers and $2.50 Schlafly drafts during the speech.
Disclosure: Both Reed and Triplett are clients of A D French & Associates. However, all campaigns are encouraged to send press releases and event info as well.
At a busy meeting of the 6th Ward Democrats, the organization voted to endorse Committeeman Patrick Cacchione over his opponents Kacie Starr Triplett and Christian Saller.
More later...
UPDATE 1:Urban Review has the vote as 115 votes for Cacchione, 51 votes for Triplett, and 5 votes for Saller.
UPDATE 2: They may have lost last night's ward endorsement, but the Starr campaign is touting a long list of other endorsements this morning.
In a press release today (Friday), Kacie Starr Triplett says the St. Louis Labor Council recently joined State Senator Jeff Smith, State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, Pearlie Evans, the Missouri American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the St. Louis Labor Legislative Club and St. Louis Building and Construction Trades in endorsing her candidacy.
Attempting to build some momentum in his second campaign against 26th Ward Alderman Frank Williamson, two-time challenger H. Lee Willis will be shaking hands and talking politics tomorrow.
Willis will be hosting a meet-and-greet Monday at Eklectic Designz at 5622 Delmar Blvd. His appearance follows his testimony Thursday at a meeting of the Streets Committee of the Board of Aldermen (a committee Williamson sits on), where Willis spoke against Ald. Lyda Krewson's anti-street peddling bill, suggesting that instead the city invoke some kind of height restriction on peddlers to deter children from selling in busy intersections.
The event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and is open to all. "This will be a great chance for ward residents to voice their concerns and meet their candidate for alderman," said Willis in a press release.
Willis lost to Williamson in 2003, garnering just 34% of the vote.
Former school board president Marlene Davis filed this morning to fill the 19th Ward vacancy created by now-former Ald. Mike McMillan's swearing in today as License Collector.
Here is a joint statement from 6th Ward aldermanic candidates Kacie Starr Triplett and Patrick Cacchione:
There has been a compromise reached between Kacie Starr Triplett and Patrick Cacchione regarding the 6th Ward endorsement meeting. In order to ensure inclusiveness and attempt to strengthen our Democratic Party, the deadline to join the organization has been extended until December 28th at 6pm. All members who have joined the organization at that point and are registered to vote in the 6th ward will be allowed to participate in the ward election. We encourage all interested Democrats to participate. Both Mr. Cacchione and Ms. Triplett would like to thank Alderman Lewis Reed for his role in reaching this compromise.
Click here to read our earlier report on this story.
Also... Starr today received the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
UPDATE: Cacchione has launched his campaign website, www.patcacchione.com (thanks to the ACC for the link).
Learn more about Shrewsbury's opponent, Lewis Reed, at www.lewisreed.net. Saller's opponents are Kacie Starr Triplett (at www.kaciestarrtriplett.com) and Patrick Cacchione (whose website doesn't seem to be up yet).
VIDEO: Sunshine Forces "Private" 6th Ward Meeting to Be Rescheduled
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Monday, December 18, 2006 at 10:20 PM
Tensions were high at tonight's meeting of the executive committee of the 6th Ward Democratic Organization. The group gathered to discuss a complaint by Committeeman and Aldermanic candidate Patrick Cacchione about a large group of new members his opponent and fellow committee member, Kacie Starr Triplett, brought into the organization last month.
The importance of the meeting was its possible affect on who is allowed to vote in the January ward endorsement meeting. Triplett said she recently registered more than a hundred new members in the organization ahead of the deadline to do so, but Cacchione is seeking to have many of those new members removed, citing procedural problems. But the problem is, as far as anyone can tell, the organization has no rules or by-laws, making it difficult to argue than any have been broken.
"This is an attempt by the current committeman, Mr. Cacchione, to change the rules at the last minute and guarantee the endorsement for himself," Triplett wrote on her website (1) yesterday.
Triplett arrived at tonight's meeting, at Pestalozzi Place restaurant in south St. Louis, with several supporters, including State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed and Darryl Piggee, chief of staff for Congressman Lacy Clay. Reporters from PUB DEF, the Arch City Chronicle and Urban Review STL were also in attendance.
A visibly angry ward president Mary Entrup, wife of Alderman Lewis Reed, and Committeewoman Bev Buchheit admonished Triplett for inviting people to the "private" meeting. Entrup and Cacchione even snapped at Nasheed for listening in on the conversation.
About an hour into the meeting, Reed entered the restaurant with campaign manager Bob Rice. Reed also had words with Nasheed before sitting down at the meeting table just long enough to criticize Triplett for raising the issue of race in her defense of her supporters' memberships.
In a statement published on her campaign's blog over the weekend, Triplett said "It appears there is an attempt underway to remove over 100 members from our organization. Unfortunately, it is no coincidence that a vast majority of these members are African-American."
Reed could be heard telling both Triplett and Nasheed that race had nothing to do with the committee's actions. He defended the other members, all of whom besides he and Triplett are white, as being fair-minded and far from racist. He left shortly after.
In the end, due to the unexpected audience of onlookers, the committee voted to table the discussion and pick it up later this week at a private meeting at the home of Reed and Entrup.
"I have been instructed to not bring any members who would be affected by this action," Triplett wrote on her blog tonight.
"I want [6th Ward residents] to know that at I am committed to keeping our organization fair, open, and inclusive. I will always stand up for what I believe is right."
(1) Editor's Note: Triplett's website was built and is hosted by me, Antonio D. French.
I'm scheduled to be a guest on "Collateral Damage" tonight with hosts D.J. Wilson and Fred Hessel and Steve Patterson of Urban Review STL. The show starts at 7:00 and can be heard on KDHX 88.1 FM or online at www.kdhx.org.
Among the topics we'll be discussing is the 6th Ward controversy over new ward organization members and missing by-laws and how it may relate to the campaign for Aldermanic President. Other likely topics will be the immediate future of the St. Louis Public Schools and recent changes on Cherokee Street. If you have suggestions for other topics for us to discuss use the comments section below.
Some people collect stamps. Others run for office.
As we first reported earlier today, former school board member Bill Haas is indeed running again for a seat on the St. Louis Board of Education -- at the same time as he is running for a seat on the Board of Aldermen.
Is that even legal? Yes, says election board officials who note that Haas is technically only running for the Democratic nomination for alderman. Should Haas win that election (which is already a long shot) in March, he would either have to give it up or withdraw his name from the school board ballot in April.
The rematch we all expected is indeed occuring. Former Ald. Jay Ozier has filed today to run against Ald. Jeffrey Boyd.
Ozier, a close ally of another former 22nd Ward alderman, Kenny Jones, was at polls last month passing out fliers announcing his candidacy. Click here to see it.
Ozier and Jones attempted to recall Boyd in 2005, but their petition fell short of the required number of signatures after the election officials discovered numerous invalid signatures -- including those of deceased voters.
The case was referred to Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce's office months ago, but no one has been charged with any crime yet.
Bill Haas says he will be filing to run for school board today. This is in addition to already running for alderman against Terry Kennedy in the 18th Ward.
UPDATE: There were a few surprises this morning as the filing window opened for incumbents and challengers seeking to run in the March 2007 primary elections.
As we first reported last week, former school board member Bill Haas is challenging 18th Ward Alderman Terry Kennedy. When we asked Haas, who has run unsuccessfully for numerous offices over the years (including mayor and, most recently, state representative), why now alderman, he said simply "it was on the ballot."
Haas added it would be an honor to replace "a great alderman like Terry Kennedy."
The biggest surprise came in the filing of retired police officer Matt Browning against 12th Ward Ald. Fred Heitert. [Click here to read more about this and view a video interview with Browning.] Both are Republicans and Browning's moving personal story and considerable name recognition could make this race very competitive.
Alderman Craig Schmid (20th Ward) also got a challenger in Cherokee Street resident Galen Gondolfi.
In the 6th Ward, Kacie Starr Triplett's name will appear on the ballot above Committeeman Patrick Cacchione and first-time candidate Christian Saller.
Another surprise came in the 4th Ward, where neither incumbent Ald. O.L. Shelton or his expected challenger, Sam Moore, showed up this morning to file. [UPDATE: Shelton filed at 4:30 p.m]
Still Developing...
UPDATE 2: Here are some photos from today's filings. Please don't steal our photos. If you'd like to use them, just ask.
The city's only Republican alderman got an unexpected challenger this morning, former St. Louis City police officer Matt Browning.
Browning, who lost his legs in October 2004 after being pinned between two cars on a routine traffic stop, filed to run against 12th Ward Alderman Fred Heitert this morning in the March 2007 Republican primary. Check back later for video...
UPDATE: Here's that video we promised. In it, Browning says one of the reasons he decided to run was the terrible state of many of his ward's sidewalks. He said they make it hard -- even dangerous -- for pedestrians, especially wheelchair-bound residents such as him, to move around the ward.
Heitert, the city's longest-serving alderman, filed shortly after Browning. He told KWMU's Tom Weber this morning that he'd like four more years representing the 12th Ward in City Hall.
"I enjoy serving the people in the 12th ward and I just want to continue," he told Weber. "They've had me for 28 years - I feel I've served my people well. I wish Matt the best."
Former School Board member (and perennial mayorial candiate) Bill Haas is apparently running for alderman of the 18th Ward. Just a few weeks after losing his latest campaign for state representative, Haas is now holding a place in line at the Board of Elections to run against incumbent Ald. Terry Kennedy.
Ald. Frank Williamson also has a challenger waiting in line, Lee Willis of the 26th Ward.
Filing starts Monday at 8:00 a.m and closes January 5, 2007.
Click here to download an interview this reporter did with Haas back in 2005 during his last campaign for mayor. At the time, Haas said depression and financial troubles had him contemplating suicide. Since then, Haas says he is doing much better.
Committeeman Patrick Cacchione kicked off his campaign to become the next alderman of the 6th Ward with a well-attended party and fundraiser at Sqwires last night.
"Here in the 6th Ward, we are a microcosm of the city with rich and poor, blacks and whites, new immigrants and long-time residents and we have business and residential," Cacchione told the crowd.
"We embrace and celebrate our diversity and if anyone thinks they can use our diversity to divide us they better think twice. This election is not about where you are from but where we are going together."
Cacchione is expected to face former Congressional aide Kacie Starr Triplett, Tower Grove East resident Christian Saller, and possibly others in the March 2007 primary.
SHE SAID WHAT? -- Following the our city's dubious distinction once again as the "Most Dangerous City in America", comes an interesting quote from one of St. Louis' paid cheerleaders.
Mary Hendrod, of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, was quoted in Venues Today, an industry trade magazine, in their "Quote of the Week" section.
"It's a bad part of town, but every city has a bad part of town... Frankly the only reason anyone would go there would be to purchase crack cocaine," she said, reportedly referring to "a bad neighborhood of St. Louis."
Hendrod told PUB DEF this morning that the quote was taken out of context and was meant to be off the record.
AND THEN THERE WERE THREE -- Looks like Tower Grove Easter Christian Saller is joining Kacie Starr Triplett and Committeeman Patrick Cacchione in the race to succeed 6th Ward Alderman (and Aldermanic Presidential candidate) Lewis Reed. The Arch City Chroniclereports Saller, 43, made the announcement at a southside neighborhood meeting last night. We're also hearing there will be even more candidates joining the race before it's all over. Expect a crowded field.
FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS? -- We emailed outgoing Republican State Rep. Sherman Parker this week to ask if we should read anything into his presence at Claire McCaskill's victory party last week. He did not reply.
But two other African-American Republicans called us over the weekend to let us know what they thought about former Congressional candidates Parker and Leslie Farr (who recently said he was re-joining the Democratic Party) partying with the blue team while the reds shed tears into their champagne glasses last Tuesday.
"Traitors" is about the least offensive word used that we can write here.
"After all Jim [Talent] did for Sherman?" one said, referring to Talent's early endorsement in the contentious 2002 primary fight that eventually led to Parker becoming the first African-American elected to the state legislature from St. Charles.
"They should know the lines are too long for them to ever get anything out of the Democrats," said the GOPer.
With even less fanfare than the first time, 6th Ward Ald. Lewis Reed again announced yesterday he is running for Aldermanic President -- this time in a hastily produced press release.
"It’s time to make a change as to who is should be [sic] seated in the next four years in the Aldermanic President’s chair," Reed is quoted in the press release prepared by local PR man Gentry Trotter, who's identified as Reed's new director of communications.
"The economic growth of our city indicates that a successful team approach works better in the re-building of one St. Louis. The next Aldermanic President must represent all of the people and all of the interests which will help lay a deep structural foundation that we and our kids can build on."
License Collector-elect Mike McMillan and 6th Ward Committeewoman Bev Buchheit are co-chairing Reed's committee. And fellow aldermen Dionne Flowers and Jennifer Florida are listed as supporters.
Reed is running against incumbent Jim Shrewsbury in the March 6, 2007 primary.
Sixth Ward Committeeman Patrick Cacchione will be launching his campaign for alderman this week with a kick-off party and fundraiser.
Cacchione is looking to replace Ald. Lewis Reed who is running for Aldermanic President. The only other candidate to so far announce a run to replace Reed is Kacie Starr Triplett, a former aide to Congressman Russ Carnahan.
Cacchione's kick-off party will be Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Sqwires Annex, 1415 South 18th Street.
The political fighting in the 22nd Ward continues as the former Alderman Jay Ozier prepares to challenge current Alderman Jeffrey Boyd in the March 2007 primary.
Ozier, a close ally of another former 22nd Ward alderman, Kenny Jones, was at the polls Tuesday passing out fliers announcing his candidacy. Click here to see it.
Ozier and Jones attempted to recall Boyd in 2005, but their petition fell short of the required number
