More than 100, mostly African-American and largely Democratic, supporters of Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder came out last night to support his re-election bid.

The host committee included several well-known St. Louis African-American Republicans, including James Buford and Jerry Hunter. But it also featured the names of several prominent black Democrats, including St. Louis Argus Publisher Eddie Hasan, developer Tony Thompson, attorney Rufus Tate, and Sal Martinez, among others.

There were also several Democrats in attendance, including Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr.; Tom Shepard, chief of staff for Aldermanic President Lewis Reed; former State Rep. Betty Thompson; and former alderman and Anheuser-Busch executive Wayman Smith.

In this exclusive video, Smith jokingly compared the African-American turnout at Kinder’s fundraiser to those Barack Obama regularly draws.

In his speech and in an interview with PubDef (check back later for video), Kinder talked about the importance of Missouri’s rural and suburban legislators recognizing that the St. Louis region is the “economic engine of the state.”

“As the economy here goes, so goes the economy of the State of Missouri,” said Kinder.

Kinder highlighted his support of historic tax credits, which helped fuel development downtown, and the new Land Assemblage Tax Credit, which he hopes will spur similar development activity in blighted areas of the city, particularly north St. Louis.

Kinder will likely face Democrat Sam Page in the general election in November.