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A look around the region at the week that was in electoral politics and a glimpse of the week to come.Now that the filing period to sign up for state legislative races is over, things are beginning to be a little clearer about what’s to come during the impending election cycle. That means the voting decision will be come a little clearer for Hazelwood residents. Locally the main event will most likely be the 1st Congressional District race that features Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-St. Louis City) and Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis City). Barring a Missouri Supreme Court ruling that chucks the redistricted congressional map, both candidates remain on the ballot to run in the district that includes all of …
Missouri’s first round of caucuses are now over, leaving behind a virtual trail of tranquility and chaos. All went well in the City of Hazelwood at the Lewis & Clark Township caucus. Rick Santorum made a campaign stop, took photos with supporters and discussed Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, among other things. But chaos was the case in St. Peters, where the St. Charles County Republican Caucus ended without any delegates being allocated. The confrontational event became a national story, resulting in stories both on CNN and in the New York Times. [Click here for Wentzville Patch’s …
After more twists and turns than a Six Flags roller-coaster, redistricting has been nothing short of a harrowing experience. But is it possible that state Senate redistricting could be reaching some sort of conclusion? Maybe. And that's because Friday is the deadline for feedback for a tentative Senate map that was approved by a bipartisan commission a couple of weeks ago. The lines have to be redrawn every 10 years to conform to population shifts throughout the state. The response, of course, hasn’t been universally favorable. While some lawmakers, such as Sen. Brian Nieves (R-Washington), …
The kickoff of Missouri’s biennial filing day is often littered with surprises. But this year’s iteration may have taken the cake. Obviously, the biggest news is Rep. Russ Carnahan’s (D-MO) decision to run in the 1stCongressional District. The St. Louis City Democrat had considered running in the GOP-leaning 2nd Congressional District, but insteaddecided to enter into a race that will have him battling U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO). That race will be closely watched, since the district that encompasses all of St. Louis City and some of St. Louis County has a heavy Democratic lean. In essence, …
The wee hours of Thursday morning brought about big chances for state Senate districts in St. Louis County. The tentative document – detailed in coverage from the St. Louis Beacon – means that Sen. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) is now in a district with Sen. Brian Nieves, (R-Washington). And districts represented by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-Lemay) and John Lamping (R-Ladue) also saw significant changes. If this sounds familiar, that's because the map had to be redrawn after the original document was declared unconstitutional. More analysis will surely come over the next days and weeks. For now, …
The word “non-binding” was thrown around often when either previewing or analyzing Missouri’s GOP primary. And with good reason: The real battle for delegates will take place at the party’s March caucuses. Although former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum easily won Missouri's Republican primary, it doesn't necessarily ensure that he'll get the Show Me State's delegates. Santorum's primary victory – along with wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses – helped revive the former Pennsylvania senator’s campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The delegate situation will be decided at the…
Campaigns these days can no longer just rely on advertisements and direct mail to deliver a message. They also need to have a quick-fire presence on the web. That aforementioned statement is not necessarily revolutionary. Campaigns have utilized the web as both a messaging tool and an opposition research mechanism for well over a decade. But with more and more people getting information about politics and politicians through the web, the demand is high for manpower to update Twitter pages, fill Facebook pages, manage e-mail lists and organize YouTube videos. For instance, U.S. Sen. Claire …
Whether it’s Missouri’s State of the State or the United States' State of Union, a chief executive’s speech to a legislative body typically makes reporters’ inboxes balloon. And it’s not just because Harry & David’s sends an unusually large amount emails advertising its latest delicious sale. Rather, lawmakers tend to enjoy providing snap reactions to high-profile events. That was certainly the case earlier this month when Gov. Jay Nixon gave his State of the State address. And it was also what happened when President Barack Obama’s State of the Union delivered his State of the Union earlier …
For procrastinators, Wednesday was especially difficult. That’s because seemingly essential websites, such as Wikipedia, were blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. The House bill, commonly known as SOPA, and the Senate legislation, known as PIPA, are attempts at curbing piracy of popular media, such as movies and music. But many opponents say the bills could have a much farther-reaching impact that could shut down sites, such as the aforementioned free online encyclopedia. Thus, Wednesday became the day where many sites opposed to the measures spoke out and …
As noted numerous times before, the GOP process for selecting presidential delegates is not exactly straightforward. Even though there’s a primary in February, as of now, delegates will be selected at caucuses held in March. In attempt to sort the situation out for area Republicans, Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) is planning a “Presidential Primary Preview” at Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country. The event will feature an explanation of the state’s presidential delegate situation by Missouri Republican Party political director Robert Knodell. In addition to a straw poll and …
Every so often, Gov. Jay Nixon taps some notable names to fill the nearly endless stream of posts in state government. Wednesday was no exception, as the Democratic governor picked several familiar faces from the St. Louis metro area for appointments. For example, Nixon appointed Crestwood resident Jim Avery to fill a slot for the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Avery, who served as a state representative for Crestwood and Sunset Hills in the 2000s, previously was the chairman of the state board of mediation. According to the governor's office, Avery will review administrative …
House Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller—a Willard Republican running for secretary of state—will be holding a fundraising event Thursday in Town and Country. The event at the Cedar Springs Clubhouse will be hosted by Rep. Sue Allen (R-Town and Country). In addition to a slew of Republican state representatives, the event will also feature House Majority Leader Tim Jones (R-Eureka) and Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis County). Jones is expected to become the next House Speaker if Republicans retain control on that chamber next year. Schoeller is in a crowded race to replace Democratic Secretary of …
Former Republican state senator Jim Talent may have decided to skip running for office this election cycle. But that doesn’t mean he’s out of the electoral arena. Talent, a Des Peres native who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2007, was one of a number of Mitt Romney supporters, who spent part of last week attacking former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich has surged in the polls as of late, making him the latest unlikely GOP primary frontrunner. “The Speaker’s running as a reliable and trusted conservative leader and what we’re here to say with reluctance but clearly is that he’s …
For the most part, last week’s great redistricting earthquake threw a number of lawmakers into the same state legislative districts. But rather than spurring primary fights, at least some incumbents are making plans to move. Such was the case with Sen. Jane Cunningham, a Chesterfield Republican who was drawn into the same district with Sen. John Lamping (R-Ladue). But instead of a confrontation, Cunningham instead will run in the nearby 27th District, which features parts of western St. Louis County and northern Jefferson County. Similar situations happened across the state and region with …
With the Republican nomination for governor all shook up, so to speak, there’s increased speculation that Ed Martin might bolt from the 2nd Congressional District race. Martin didn’t help pare down curosity when he went on KMOX to say that he would consider switching races once again during the election cycle. Martin already bowed out of the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate after U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) decided to run for the nation's greatest deliberative body. Beyond having to answer for his propensity to switch races midstream, Martin may have to deal with yet another well-funded …
Every 10 years, the truly dedicated political adherents become obsessed with maps. That fixation isn’t necessarily because they agree with this writer that cartography is awesome. Rather every ten years, states have to reconfigure their congressional maps to conform to population changes showcased in the U.S. Census. And often times, the process isn’t exactly neat and tidy. The redistricting process was the subject of a CNN special earlier this week entitled “Gerry-rigged: Ignoring the American Voter.” The report took a close look at “gerrymandering,” which involves drawing districts that can…
It seems that with each passing week, there’s a new main challenger to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s front-runner status. First it was Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota). Then it was Texas Gov. Rick Perry. And later, it was Georgia businessman Herman Cain. For various reasons, all of these candidates slipped in the polls after the media spotlight became white hot. This week is almost déjà vu all over again, so to speak, with the case of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. After suffering some setbacks during the early portions of his campaign, Gingrich has seen a rise in his poll …
It's still early, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign may be defined by one word: Oops. The longtime chief executive of the Lone Star State came into the 2012 race for the White House with high expectations. But he fell behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney after a series of substandard debate performances. And another widely panned debate effort on Wednesday may have driven Perry further down in the proverbial hole. That’s because Perry fumbled badly when he tried to name three cabinet-level executive agencies he would eliminate if he were president. He named two—the …
Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain could show that when it comes to running for the White House, experience winning elections matter. The Georgia Republican was arguably one of the biggest surprises in the Republican race for the White House, winning a Florida straw poll and taking the lead in many national opinion surveys. That was a marked change from earlier this year when Cain visited Jefferson City, a time when he was an also-ran in the GOP field. But on Sunday, Cain’s campaign was rocked to the core by a Politico article that reported two women complained about Cain’s …
Candidate filing began this week for the state’s presidential primary amid questions about whether the contest will have any bearing on choosing presidential delegates. As of press time, four Republican presidential aspirants have signed up for next February’s contest. That list includes former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Georgia businessman Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and St. Louis resident Michael Meheen. Republicans opted to select their delegates through a caucus process after the legislature failed to pass legislation moving the primary from February to March. …
