U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay always has been one of the best quotes in the Congress, but after Tuesday night he is letting the numbers do the talking.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Clay told The American on Wednesday morning.
According to unofficial results from the Missouri Secretary of State, Clay thrashed challenger Russ Carnahan by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, 57,580 votes (63.2 percent) to 30,895 (33.9 percent), in the Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.
“It was a resounding victory for me and a resounding defeat for him,” Clay said of Carnahan.
“He had a bankrupt campaign strategy that he never should have contemplated. Whoever advised him and ran his campaign really took advantage of him. The people have spoken.”
Clay, the incumbent, was challenged by Carnahan when the Republican-dominated state Legislature redrew Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, which Carnahan had represented, with a large Republican majority.
Internal polling, shared with The American on background throughout the campaign, showed Clay with high positive voter identification in the district. So the Clay campaign was braced for a negative campaign from Carnahan, yet shocked by how relentlessly negative Carnahan campaigned against a colleague and former ally.
“The vast majority of voters did not buy into his negativity and hate speech,” Clay said. “It was a terrible strategy, and it didn’t work. It backfired on Carnahan, and he got what he deserved.”
Clay said Carnahan called him Wednesday morning to congratulate him and ask for a meeting in September when both return to Congress. “It was a very brief conversation,” Clay said.
Though Clay said Carnahan essentially defeated himself, he also credited the support of The St. Louis American and his campaign’s ground game.
“The Clay machine is retooled and advances into the 21st century,” Clay said, referring to the legendary campaign machine assembled by his father, retired 1st District Congressman Bill Clay.
“You have to remember, we were outstaffed, outraised and told we were rusty. But all of it came together, and I am so appreciative for the community. I have so much faith in the voters who didn’t buy into the hype.”
Virvus Jones, who ran the successful City Treasurer campaign for his daughter Tishaura O. Jones, saw the Clay campaign knock the rust off its machinery with the help of other contested primaries in the district.
“Lacy took advantage of the street campaigns that were out there and working hard to stimulate the base,” Virvus Jones said.
“When you have no challengers over the years, like Lacy, it can take awhile to put together a ground game. Eventually, he did and supported those who did. He has to have those allies on the ground to give him infrastructure. That’s what his father had. That’s what Lacy had this time.”
Clay also campaigned with a dream team of political endorsements. On filing day he had endorsements from County Executive Charlie A. Dooley (his most serious previous primary opponent) and Mayor Francis G. Slay. Governor Jay Nixon endorsed later and less actively. Comptroller Darlene Green also endorsed and supported the campaign. On the city’s powerful Board of Estimate & Apportionment, only aldermanic President Lewis Reed was not with Clay.
“Lewis Reed was a no-show,” Clay said.
“But Charlie Dooley, Jay Nixon, Francis Slay, Darlene Green, I thank them for standing up and having backbone. It sent a powerful message to voters that I was who they want to work with.”
Mayor Slay saw Clay’s campaign in the same terms as the candidate himself.
“Lacy really worked hard to reach out to the entire community – north, south, central; county, city – and he really ran a strong, positive campaign,” Slay said.
“There was too much negativity from the other side. People want to hear what the congressman is going to do for the people of the city and the region.”
The Post-Dispatch stood up – with Carnahan, who was described in the paper as an incumbent although Clay has represented the 1st Congressional District since 2000.
“It was very revealing where the Post positioned themselves,” Clay said.
“Look at their endorsement list – in a city as diverse as St. Louis, to have an all-white endorsement list is unthinkable in 2012. I have no respect for the people on their editorial board or who own the paper. And a vast majority of people rejected the hate speech against me that the Post accepted.”
Clay – now the senior congressman for the St. Louis region – is looking forward to getting to know the new 1st Congressional District.
“I want to get to know the new part of the district, which is basically South City, and serve them like I have served the people in the previously existing district,” Clay said.
A bright part of a bitter and grueling campaign, Clay said, was revisiting churches in the district.
“I really enjoyed going into the churches every Sunday,” he said. “I brought a message about hope and hatred and how love trumps hate.”
In fact, Clay had a golf date yesterday with one of the area preachers who invited him into his house of worship during the campaign: the Rev. Freddy Clark of Shalom Church (City of Peace).
Clay said, “It’s over now, so I will indulge in one of my rituals after an election: playing 18 holes of golf with someone I like being with.”
