St. Louis State Rep. Connie Johnson kicked off her campaign for senator of the 5th District with an event Friday at a gallery which was actually located in the 4th Senate District.

About 35 friends and supporters — mostly female — joined Johnson at the Diversity Gallery, 6150-6152 Delmar Blvd, to help her start her campaign. Among those in attendance were Keena Carter, daughter of former State Senator Paula Carter, who passed away in 2001; state rep candidate Mike Roberts, Jr.; and political consultant Harold Brown.

PubDef’s Danielle Belton interviewed Johnson at the event. She asked her why she chose to run for state senate and what she thought about some people calling her a “spoiler” or a “stalking horse”.

Johnson is one of three candidates seeking to replace the term-limited Sen. Maida Coleman. The other two are Rodney Hubbard* (watch his campaign kick-off video here) and Robin Wright-Jones (watch her campaign kick-off video here).

*Hubbard is a client of PubDef.net publisher Antonio D. French.

State Rep. Connie Johnson is trying to tap down some scuttlebutt about why she’s running for State Senate, the same seat Rep. Rodney Hubbard and Robin Wright-Jones are running for.

Mouths are flapping that Johnson is a “stalking horse” for Hubbard, meant to siphon female votes from Wright-Jones.

But Johnson is saying don’t believe the hype!

No need to speculate why I filed. NO deals have been cut. I am not a stalking horse. I have no personal animosity or vendetta against the other candidates. I’m in this race because of my commitment to public service and desire to work for the common good of ALL Missourians.

I’m about the business of the State of Missouri. As the state motto reads “Let the Welfare of the People be the Supreme Law of the Land”. Let the race begin. Let the best man or woman win.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s blog Political Fix ran a blurb on Johnson’s declaration of not being a patsy. So did Arch City Chronicle.