Sir Francis Bacon said, “Civil War is like the heat of fever; a foreign war is like the heat of exercise.”
It’s going to be a feverish summer in the Missouri Democratic Party. Civil War is on in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District Democratic Primary, where the sons of the party’s two ranking dynasties – black and white, north and south – both filed for the same office on Tuesday.
The black man from the northern sector of the newly redrawn 1st Congressional District: incumbentU.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay.
The white man from the southern sector of the district, which until the recent redistricting fell within Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan.
The primary election will be held on a day in the dead of summer: August 7.
Clay’s statement:
“I am proud to be the Democratic incumbent seeking re-election in the 1st Congressional District. As a strong, committed progressive with a backbone, my campaign is guided by the core values and key issues that I have always fought for: saving good jobs and creating new employment opportunities, making quality healthcare accessible for all, keeping a college education affordable and helping working families restore their economic security. I’m also striving to keepAmericasafe and to defend the voting rights of every citizen.”
Not surprisingly as an incumbent, Clay did not mention his challenger. In a message that Carnahan sent to supporters on Tuesday, he did not mention Clay either. The bulk of his message was not even devoted to the campaign Carnahan just filed to wage, but rather to his fervent wish his 3rd Congressional District will be redrawn (again) into something winnable for him.
Carnahan stated, “Of course, we are still awaiting a decision from the Missouri Supreme Court on this gerrymandered map passed by the Republican legislature over the veto of Governor Nixon. Together, we have fought to challenge this map. I believe the maps are unconstitutional and if redrawn fairly, the people of theSt Louis metro area would have three whole districts instead of only two, and statewide, Democrats would have at least three districts out of eight, instead of only two.”
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan – Russ Carnahan’s sister, of course – previously announced that candidates could file again in a different district if the court returns a different district map.
The city of St. Louis, previously split, north and south, between the 1st and 3rd congressional districts, now falls in the 1st District. With the city caught in the middle in this primary, Mayor Francis G. Slay came out on filing day with his candidate picked.
“Barring a court decision throwing out the Congressional maps, the City’s Democratic voters will likely find both Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan on their August primary ballots. That’s too bad. Being represented by two members of Congress is better than one. The map will make it difficult for voters who like both of them,” Slay stated.
“But, the map is not up to us. We will have to make a hard choice. I have. It is my intention to support Lacy Clay in that election. I have had a great working relationship with State Senator, then U.S. Representative, Clay over the years. His commitment to the City ofSt. Louisis deep and long-standing. Because of his experience, he fully understands the issues facing our city, and the people of our city. It is my strong belief that the city’s many interests are better served by returning Lacy Clay to Congress in November 2012.”
Core supporters of Clay said he had a bounce to his step on filing day and was genuinely looking forward to the campaign. His statement reflected as much: “I’m looking forward to this campaign, and I can’t wait to take my positive, progressive message to every neighborhood that I have the honor to represent.”
