There have been rumors of a battle brewing for State Sen. Maida Coleman’s position as Minority Floor Leader — possibly from fellow Democrat, State Sen. Tim Green. We asked Sen. Coleman if she’s worried about losing her position.
When Coleman returns to the senate she’ll have a new colleague from St. Louis — Jeff Smith. Coleman was openly supportive of one of Smith’s opponents in the August primary election. With that in mind, we asked her if she expects Smith to be an ally in Jefferson City.
Finally, we asked Coleman about her own plans for life after the senate. State term limits prohibit her from seeking re-election. Earlier this year she had expressed interest in running for state auditor and city license collector. But after little support among Democrats and a scathing article in the Post-Dispatch about her own personal financial history, she decided against campaigning this year. Coleman said those experiences left her questioning the commitment of her party to African-American candidates.
