Blunt Calls Special Election
Filed Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Gov. Matt Blunt today called for a special election to fill the vacancy in the 23rd Senate District. The special election will be held on Sept. 4, 2007.
Republican Sen. Chuck Gross resigned from the Missouri State Senate effective May 31, creating an open Senate seat in the 23rd Senate District.
Candidates must be selected by party committeepeople and filed with the Secretary of State’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 31.
There remains speculation that the special election provides opportunity for soon-to-be-term-limited St. Louis Democrat Maida Coleman to also leave the Senate early and accept a gubernatorial appointment.
Coleman’s seat is currently the target of three announced candidates (State Reps. Rodney Hubbard, Tom Villa, and Robin Wright-Jones).
It is said that Blunt might give Coleman an early appointment to pave the way for Hubbard, a St. Louis Democrat with strong relationships with the state’s Republican leadership.
Coleman has denied any rumors of plans for an early exit.