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On Election Day, Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed, License Collector Mike McMillan, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, and Alderman-elect Marlene Davis made their way around the city on an old-fashion trolley, shaking hands from barbershops to gas stations and picking up last-minute votes.
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."
During this weekend's nationally televised fights on the Showtime network, St. Louis boxer Devon Alexander stepped into the ring wearing a Lewis Reed t-shirt. Soon after knocking out his opponent in the 7th round, the young southpaw gave shout-outs into the camera to his family, friends, and to the candidate for President of the Board of Aldermen.
The only question that remains is can the Reed team pull off another knock-out victory today?
The following is a copy of an ad that appeared in the February 21 edition of the Southwest City Journal. It touts Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury's opposition to the BJC expansion deal, saying he "won" in fighting the lease agreement. Besides being premature, the ad is interesting in that is claims to be paid for by "Citizens for Shrewsbury, Imogene Dwyer, Treasurer". However, no such organization has been registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission and no campaign finance reports detail how much money has passed through the committee.
Click to enlarge
Shrewsbury's primary campaign committee, The Shrewsbury Committee, is registered with the state and treasurer Thomas Hayes has filed reports regularly.
According to campaign finance reports just made available on the State's website, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury collected $20,900 in two days last week, adding to his much-depleted coffers just hours before the polls open.
The largest donations of $5,000 each came from Illinois-based Market Street Bancshares and local EOI Employee PAC. Shrewsbury also received $2,000 each from Southwest Bank and the Site Improvement Association PAC, and a total of $2,400 from three different entities of the McGuire companies.
In the last few weeks, Shrewsbury has poured approximately $300,000 into his campaign to retain his position as Board President. He has had a much tougher than expected challenge from Alderman Lewis Reed who is backed by a majority of the city's aldermen and recently won endorsements from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis American, and the Arch City Chronicle.
According to campaign finance reports filed over the weekend, Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed raked in almost $50,000 on one day last week, with most coming from two donors.
On February 28, George Kruntchev contributed $10,000 to the Committee to Elect Reed and Paul Weissman of New York City gave $35,000.
Reed is trying to become the first African-American ever elected President of the Board of Aldermen and the first black to unseat a white incumbent in a citywide election in 25 years.
As this ad runs on TV featuring a clip of Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury saying how he deliberately does not invest in the City of St. Louis, his latest campaign finance reports show he remains committed to that philosophy.
Of the $289,221.41 that his campaign has poured into this race in the last 30 days, more than 80% of that was paid to out-of-town firms.
Shrewsbury's mailers appear to have been printed by a Washington D.C.-based firm called The Strategy Group for $23,817.95. While his campaign commercial appears to have been produced and placed on local TV by a Denver-based company called Media Strategies. All told, more that $235,000 was paid to non-local companies.
In all fairness, much of the $190,000 (less at least the normal 15% fee for media buying) paid to Media Strategies for Shrewsbury's media buy will probably pass back through St. Louis through the three largest television stations (KSDK, KMOV, and KTVI), most of which (if not all) are owned by out-of-town companies.
But some local vendors did get a few dollars from the Shrewsbury campaign. Printer Creative Litho got $331.47 for a small job, web designer Brian Marston received $2,500 for work on the campaign website, and Aboussie & Associates, the firm of longtime political operative Joyce Aboussie received $10,000 for "voter contact".
*Shrewsbury's opponent in Tuesday's election, Alderman Lewis Reed, is a client of local firm A.D. French & Associates
The following television ad is currently running on cable and broadcast television. It is part of a three-part series produced by A.D. French & Associates and paid for by the 21st Ward Regular Democratic Organization, which I am treasurer of and who has endorsed Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Comment away.
UPDATE 3/3/07: A commenter has asked about the context in which Shrewsbury's comment was made. It was made at a recent candidate forum in north St. Louis in response to a direct question from the audience about why he does not have his business located in the city. Here is the complete unedited video of both candidates' responses:
And here's a little additional context for the use of negative (or contrast) advertising in local citywide campaigns. The following is a negative ad Comptroller Darlene Green ran against Shrewsbury when he unsuccessfully challenged her for that office in 1996.
Post-Dispatch Endorses Reed, Southside Journal Goes with Shrewsbury
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 8:13 AM
From the Post-Dispatch:
"Mr. Shrewsbury has a solid 24-year record of sometimes plodding, but honest and diligent service. Mr. Reed is a bright, engaging and capable politician who would help bridge the racial gap in city politics. The choice is a close one, but the recommendation here is that voters choose Lewis E. Reed."
From the Southside Journal:
"Both are sincere, hardworking men who are devoted to making St. Louis a better place to live.
Shrewsbury has been listening to the voice of St. Louis for nearly 25 years.
Reed has a vision for St. Louis that cannot be accomplished from the aldermanic chambers. Reed's vision is better suited for the mayor's office. Shrewsbury should be retained as aldermanic president when voters go to the polls March 6."
According to a campaign press release, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Locals #1, #2, #4, and #1439) has endorsed Jim Shrewsbury for re-election.
At last night's debate between the candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen, a question from the audience asked President Jim Shrewsbury why his personal law practice is located in St. Louis County and not in the City.
Shrewsbury said he avoids all investment in the City to steer clear of any conflicts of interest.
At last nights debate between the candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen, a question from the audience asked Alderman Lewis Reed why his yard signs can be seen on so many trees in north St. Louis.
Reed's opponent, incumbent Pres. Jim Shrewsbury said his campaign never puts signs in illegal locations. But directly across the street from the debate site, a 4-foot by 8-foot Shrewsbury sign could be seen standing on city land in Fairgrounds Park.
Fairgrounds is located in the 21st Ward, whose alderman, Bennice Jones-King, and committeeman, "Chink" Washington, have broken from every other northside ward to endorse Shrewsbury.
The two candidates for President of the Board of Alderman will meet today for a debate in north St. Louis.
The debate between incumbent Jim Shrewsbury and challenger Lewis Reed will be at Beaumont High School, 3836 Natural Bridge, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Questions will come from the audience and the four-person panel composed of radio show hosts Onion Horton and Mark Kasen, and attorneys Ruby Bonner and Robert Kenny from the Mound City Bar Association.
City Democratic Party chairman and 7th Ward Committeeman Brian Wahby has endorsed Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Reed is challenging incumbent Jim Shrewsbury in the March 6th primary election. According to Shrewsbury's campaign literature, Wahby's committeewoman, State Senator Maida Coleman, has endorsed Shrewsbury.
This news comes contrary to a false report in this week's St. Louis American, which claimed Wahby was "a Shrewsbury man".
Here is Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury's campaign commercial currently running on TV. It features cameos by State Sen. Pat Dougherty, Ald. Phyllis Young, former Ald. Irv Clay, Chief of Staff Pam Ross, and campaign staffers Harold Brown and April Harris.
Shrewsbury is in the last 11 days of a close campaign with 6th Ward Alderman Lewis Reed to be decided in the March 6 primary election. *Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has endorsed Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury for re-election.
"SEIU members run the gamut from healthcare to the public sector and building services. This is the kind of support from hardworking men and woman that any politician would be proud to have,” said Shrewsbury in a press release.
Shrewsbury is in the last 11 days of a close campaign with 6th Ward Alderman Lewis Reed to be decided in the March 6 primary election. *Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Despite appearances on his website, a spokesperson for Comptroller Darlene Green has made it clear that Green has not endorsed Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury's re-election bid.
"Comptroller Green believes both men are fine candidates and looks forward to working with whomever the voters choose to continue moving the city forward," said spokesman John Farrell.
Green's photo has been prominently added to the top of Shrewsbury's website this week.
The Comptroller appeared to side with Shrewsbury in opposing the expansion plan of BJC Hospital, the City's largest employer, when she joined with him in denying a second to the mayor's motion to approve the plan at a recent meeting of the powerful Board of Estimate & Apportionment. But now it appears that Green is moving closer to voting in favor of the plan, possibly as soon as Friday.
Less than a month after pledging to keep race out of the campaign for Aldermanic President, it appears that incumbent Jim Shrewsbury is once again using a push poll to "inform" voters about the race of his opponent and his wife.
Pub Def has received several calls from elected officials and voters around the city identifying a poll being conducted in which the callers asked if the voter was aware that Lewis Reed is black and that his wife is white.
A similar poll was conducted months ago by the Shrewsbury campaign that also pointed out Reed's race.
Last month, at a meeting of the 24th Ward Democrats, Reed directly requested Shrewsbury to stop using race as an issue in the campaign. He also asked him to end the whisper campaign regarding his marriage being conducted in several wards.
"Cheap shot!," shouted 24th Ward Alderman Bill Waterhouse, a Shrewsbury supporter, at the all-white meeting of southside Democrats.
Shrewsbury denied conducting the first push poll, saying "I have not done that, I've never done it, and I never will do it."
The Carpenters’ District Council has endorsed Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury.
"As the group that represents the lion’s share of union-organized City employees, the Carpenters understand the issues affecting city government better than anyone. I have always valued their support in the past and once again I am grateful to have the Carpenters in my corner," said Shrewsbury in a press release.
Shrewsbury is running against Alderman Lewis Reed in the March 6th primary election, just 13 days away.
The 17th Ward Democratic Organization has endorsed Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen, bringing the total number of aldermen and wards supporting the challenger to 16 of 28.
Reed is running against incumbent Jim Shrewsbury in the March 6th primary election, which is just 13 days away. *Lewis Reed is a client of A D French & Associates
This reporter joined many others in a collective "WTF?!" when he read in the current issue of the St. Louis American that the Organization for Black Struggle had endorsed incumbent Jim Shrewsbury (who is white) over challenger Lewis Reed (who is black) in next month's President of the Board of Aldermen race.
Well, turns out, the authors of the American's "Political Eye" column have once again gotten their facts wrong.
In an open letter to the American's publisher, Donald Suggs, and the paper's editor, Chris King, OBS spokesperson Kalimu Endesha wrote:
"In the most recent Political Eye, the St. Louis American saw fit to engage in the kind of reckless journalism and scurrilous name-calling it often accuses others of when they disagree with the newspaper or its publisher." "With no documentation and no follow up to confirm its story, the American reported that the Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) had endorsed James Shrewsbury in his re-election bid for President of the Board of Alderman. This is an absolute lie!" "On behalf of our members and our many supporters, we demand a written and public apology for your malicious attack." "To erroneously report on an endorsement is one thing. However, to use that as a basis for attacking our history and credibility is quite another. The scandalous attack on the reputation of the Organization for Black Struggle was totally unfounded and to use the American's own words, 'reactionary'. There was only one half of one sentence in the whole piece that was accurate and that is OBS 'began its existence as a radical revolutionary group'." "OBS has worked tirelessly in the interest of the African-American community for 27 years. There are no back-room deals or under-the-table payoffs in our history. Our operations are transparent and our integrity has endured the test of time." "We have participated in the advancement of black political power for many years and in that process endorsed many candidates. OBS has never, ever endorsed a white candidate over an African-American candidate. This is more than can be said of the St. Louis American."
Also... State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, who is also mentioned in the American's story, tells Pub Def that her position was also misrepresented. She has "absolutely not" endorsed Shrewsbury.
According to his latest campaign finance report, Alderman Lewis Reed outraised his incumbent opponent, Aldermanic Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, in the period since October 1st. During that period, Reed raised $117,105 compared to Shrewsbury's $84,650.
Reed also loaned his campaign an additional $88,000, bringing his total cash contributions to $205,105.
But dollars left the campaign just as fast as they came in. The report shows the Reed campaign spending $113,626.78 during the same period. As of Jan. 20, the campaign showed $92,978.22 cash on hand, compared to Shrewsbury's $238,824.99.
Reed's contributors included former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. and his law firm, License Collector Mike McMillan, Aldermen Dionne Flowers, Jennifer Florida and Stephen Gregali, the Gateway Classic's Earl Wilson, several entities of the Lawrence Group, the Urban League's James Buford, and Committeewoman Bev Buchheit.
*Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates and his report reflects payments totaling $4,000 to ADF&A and Pub Def for website design, advertising, video production, photography, print design, and general consulting
According to sources, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury's campaign finance report, which has been turned in but is not available online yet, shows he raised $90,000 between Oct. 1, 2006 and Jan. 20. The report shows Shrewsbury spending $42,000, with $238,824 left in the bank.
Still awaiting numbers from Shrewsbury's challenger, Lewis Reed...
UPDATE: Shrewsbury's report is now available online. It shows he raised $84,650, plus $2,220 in in-kind donations and $5,974.79 in payments from Citizens for Voter Rights for a loan he gave them in 2004.
As reported earlier, he has $238,824 cash on hand.
More that two hundred supporters of Aldermanic President candidate Lewis Reed showed up at the incredible new Field School Lofts in the Central West End for a fundraiser Saturday night.
A partial list of those that attended: License Collector Mike McMillan, northside aldermen Dionne Flowers, Freeman Bosley, Sr., and Jeffrey Boyd, southside aldermen Steve Gregali and Kathy Hanrahan, midtown alderman Lyda Krewson with husband and Channel 5 reporter Mike Owens, Committeepeople Lucinda Frazer, Bev Buchheit, Norma Leggette, and Pat Cacchione, former Comptroller Virvus Jones, former alderman Kenny Jones, and former school board member Bill Haas.
As a side note, the 33-unit Field School Lofts were developed by husband and wife team Uan Nguyen and Sue Kuo-Nguyen and are a sight to behold. Walking through the building (even in its not-quite-finished state) inspires one to dream about what can be done with the large number of vacant public school buildings throughout the city, especially in north St. Louis.
We're sure the Nguyens would be happy to open the building to tours for any current or future School Board members that say SLPS should hold onto these buildings indefinitely or sell them to developers who plan to tear them down. There is clearly another option.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
On Saturday a group of elected officials and community leaders came together for a photo shoot in front of City Hall in support of Lewis Reed for President of the Board of Aldermen.
Among the supporters on hand: License Collector Mike McMillan, former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., former comptroller Virvus Jones, Aldermen Steve Gregali and Jennifer Florida, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, Committeepersons Claude Brown, Jay Ozier, Curtis Royston, Earnestine Hill, Patrick Cacchione, Bev Buchheit, James Clayborne, Jesse Todd, future alderman Marlene Davis, former alderman Kenny Jones, the Rev. Sammie Jones, and others. *Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury will be looking to raise some cash tonight with a fundraiser at Francois Cognac and Cigar Bar, 326 N. Vandeventer. The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Suggested donations range from $27 to $2007.
Supporters of Shrewsbury's challenger, Lewis Reed, will be hosting a fundraiser at the newly renovated Field School Lofts, 4466 Olive Street, in the Central West End from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. 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.
Ah, the life of a citywide candidate. The two candidates for the President of the Board of Aldermen bounced across the city tonight from meeting to meeting, ward to ward.
Stops included meetings in the 16th, 21st, 25th, and 28th Wards.
As we reported earlier, Jim Shrewsbury won the endorsement of his home ward, the 16th. And the Arch City Chronicle reports that the 28th ward's executive committee voted unanimously to recommend to its members that they endorse Lewis Reed in that ward's open-vote endorsement, February 1. *Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
As we reported earlier, the two candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen agreed yesterday not to use the city's significant racial divisions for political gain. But whether or not the two campaigns purposely fan the flames, the issue of race burns brightly at the core of this contest.
Lewis Reed is seeking to become the first African-American to unseat a white citywide elected official since 1982. He is also seeking to become the first black elected Board President. He has been endorsed by nearly every black member of the Board of Aldermen in addition to a handful of white members.
Political observers seem to be split on the impact, if any, that Reed's interracial marriage will play in this race, but Reed felt it necessary last night to publicly challenge his opponent to disavow a whisper campaign about the matter.
Jim Shrewsbury is being supported by the majority of white aldermen. He has been in the President's seat since Francis Slay became mayor in 2001. In the same year, he presided over the controversial redistricting meeting in which he denied a black female alderman the use of the board chamber's only restroom, which was reserved for men, by threat of her giving up the debate floor during a filibuster by a group of black aldermen.
The resulting incident was reported nationally and further damaged race relations in a city already known for its poor race relations.
For some, Shrewsbury will forever be linked to that incident and you can be sure it will come up in this campaign.
At the time of the incident Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. told Shrewsbury "Shame on you, Mr. President... If she was a white woman, you would never have done that."
"You will have to answer for that," said Bosley. For some, particularly some current and former black elected officials, that time is now.
And now some commentary...
Race is and will continue to be an issue in every campaign in this city as long as it continues to be an issue in the lives of its people.
Race was rightfully an issue in last year's 4th District State Senate race, it rightfully will be an issue in this year's Board President race, and it will rightfully be an issue in next year's 5th District State Senate race. Why? Because race matters in the daily lives of the majority of those electorates.
You know where race doesn't matter in elections? Homogeneous areas that never have to confront the issue.
It is an issue that should regularly, and much more frequently than it has been, be directly addressed in real and constructive ways by our elected leaders and those that wish to be.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Extra Reading:Click here to read at piece I wrote four years ago on how that 2001 incident helped lead to the creation of Pub Def.
Last night the issue of race finally came to the forefront of the race for President of the Board of Aldermen.
At a 24th Ward endorsement meeting attended by both incumbent Jim Shrewsbury and challenger Lewis Reed, ward organization president John Corbett asked the candidates about race.
"It seems to me, along with all the crime, the schools and the tax base, the number one problem we really have is racial polarization," said Corbett. He asked what practical ideas the candidates have to address this issue.
Shrewsbury told the southside organization's all-white membership that as Board President he has balanced the aldermanic committees racially and has good relationships with the city's comptroller and fire chief, both of whom are black.
Reed, who is seeking to become the first African-American to unseat a white citywide elected official since Freeman Bosley, Jr. defeated Circuit Clerk Joe Roddy, Sr. in 1982, said that the city's political leadership should lead by example.
He challenged Shrewsbury not to use race baiting in his campaign, which he charged has already occured through the use of "push polling" and a whisper campaign to make Reed's interracial marriage an issue.
Shrewsbury denied paying for a "push poll" which was reported by the Arch City Chronicle in December to include at least two questions about Reed's race.
"I have not done that, I've never done it, and I never will do it," he said.
President of the Board of Aldermen Jim Shrewsbury, currently engaged in a tight primary contest with challenger Lewis Reed, easily won the endorsement last night of the 24th Ward Democratic Organization.
Helped by the support of the ward's alderman, Bill Waterhouse, and a crowd very friendly to his position opposing the BJC/Forest Park deal, Shrewsbury won the endorsement by a vote of 38-4 with one abstention. See our earlier story for video from the meeting.
Aldermen Steve Gregali (14th Ward) and Jennifer Florida (15th Ward) attended the meeting in support of Reed.
Shrewsbury will be looking to raise some cash this weekend with a fundraiser at Francois Cognac and Cigar Bar, 326 N. Vandeventer. The event is Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Suggested donations range from $27 to $2007.
At an endorsement meeting of the 24th Ward Democrats last night, President of the Board of Aldermen Jim Shrewsbury said he will vote against the plan to extend BJC's lease of a portion of park land once it reaches the Board of Estimate & Apportionment.
The Board of E&A is made up of the President, the Mayor and the Comptroller and its approval is required for any major financial dealings in the city. Mayor Francis Slay supports the deal while Comptroller Darlene Green has for months been critical of it.
Yesterday the aldermanic Parks Committee approved Board Bill 376 which amends the lease agreement (check back for video from that meeting later). Shrewsbury's was one of three votes against the bill.
