Eight St. Louis-area candidates could help restore balance in Jefferson City
Missouri Republicans have had firm control of the state legislature for more than two decades. They have often governed without meaningful Democratic opposition.
They have used that power to restrict abortion rights, undermine voter-approved measures, weaken local police control and pursue policies that too often put political ideology ahead of the needs of Missouri families.
Now voters have a realistic opportunity to loosen that grip.
Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in the 163-member House and two in the 34-member Senate to break the Republican supermajorities. Republicans won 111 House seats and 24 Senate seats in 2024, giving them more than the two-thirds majority required in each chamber to override a governor’s veto. Republicans would still control both chambers, but they would lose that veto-override power.
That matters. And several of the races that could make the difference are right here in the St. Louis region.
Republicans have won seven consecutive House supermajorities, aided by their growing dominance in rural Missouri. Democrats once drew considerable strength from rural communities, union households and Black voters in the state’s urban centers. As rural voters moved toward Republicans, Democrats lost control of both legislative chambers in 2002 and never regained it.
Republicans built on that advantage through fundraising, political organization and favorable legislative districts.
But suburban Missouri is changing. And Republican lawmakers have given voters plenty of reasons to reconsider who represents them.
Missourians approved constitutional protections for abortion rights in 2024. Republican lawmakers responded by putting another amendment on this year’s ballot that would roll back those protections.
They have repeatedly sought to change the rules governing citizen initiatives. They also approved a congressional redistricting plan designed to give Republicans another seat in Washington, despite voters having no opportunity to elect a new legislature before the map was redrawn. The Missouri Supreme Court has since blocked the new map, leaving voters to decide its fate on Nov. 3.
The message has been unmistakable: When voters make decisions Republican leaders dislike, those leaders look for ways around them.
That is not how representative government should work.
For Black Missourians, the consequences of one-party dominance are particularly troubling. Decisions about Medicaid, public school funding, voting rights, affordable housing and local control of policing have a direct impact on our communities. They affect whether families can afford health care, whether neighborhood schools have adequate resources and whether residents have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their communities. Too often, the people who live with those decisions have the least say in making them.
The solution is not to give Democrats unchecked power. It is to make lawmakers responsive to voters rather than assume their seats are secure.
The St. Louis American endorses seven Democratic candidates for the Missouri House and one for the Senate.
In House District 100, we endorse Mary Ann Perkins over Republican incumbent Philip Oehlerking. He won his last two elections by just 181 and 143 votes. Perkins offers a stronger commitment to public education, reproductive freedom and respecting voters’ decisions.
In District 96, we endorse Matt Vitale over Brad Christ. Vitale’s experience advocating for people with disabilities and his commitment to public schools stand in contrast to Christ’s support for school choice and transferring control of St. Louis policing to the state.
In District 94, we endorse Cathy Summers over Maryellen Murphy for the open seat being vacated by Republican Jim Murphy. Summers supports reproductive rights and opposes efforts to undermine voter-approved measures.
In District 101, we endorse Paul Lentz over Ben Keathley, a co-founder of the Missouri Freedom Caucus. Lentz offers a more constructive approach to public services, health care affordability and working families.
In St. Charles County, we endorse Tara Murray in District 104, Caterina “Cat” Clayton in District 105 and Jewel Kelly Jr. in District 106. Murray brings decades of experience in public education. Clayton emphasizes affordability, public schools and government accountability. Kelly, a Black Air Force veteran and business owner, brings a commitment to affordable housing and mental health services.
For Senate District 24, we endorse incumbent Tracy McCreery over Republican LaVanna Wrobley. McCreery has demonstrated that effective representation requires both conviction and a willingness to work across party lines. Her experience and commitment to health care, consumer protection and voting rights merit another term.
The seven House races offer opportunities for Democratic gains. McCreery’s reelection would preserve a Democratic Senate seat, but breaking that chamber’s supermajority requires gains elsewhere.
These endorsements are not simply about electing Democrats. They are about restoring accountability to a legislature that has operated for too long with little restraint.
Republicans have fundraising advantages, but Democrats can win beyond their traditional strongholds. Breaking the supermajorities is far from guaranteed.
But the opportunity is real.
Missouri voters have repeatedly shown that they are willing to reject Republican positions on important issues. Now they have an opportunity to hold Republican lawmakers accountable for disregarding those decisions.
The people of Missouri deserve a legislature that reflects their wishes.
On Nov. 3, voters can begin making that happen.