Mark P. Mantovani has conceded defeat in the August 7 Democratic primary for St. Louis County executive after the St. Louis County Election Board certified the election results and declared incumbent Steve Stenger the winner by 1,100 votes – less than 1 percent of the Democratic votes cast.
“Despite the narrow margin of defeat and the fact that supporters and election experts have encouraged my campaign to exercise its statutory right to recount or even contest the results, after consideration, I decided to forego these activities,” Mantovani said in a statement.
“There are isolated but recurring allegations of election and polling place irregularities that some have brought to our attention. While we had the legal right to challenge the results because of the margin, in my view, the potential for change in the election’s outcome was not realistic. Hence, my preference is to waste no additional time nor energy tilting at this windmill.”
Mantovani said that some supporters were disappointed by his decision but it was consistent with why he ran for public office for the first time after a successful business career.
“My goal in seeking this office was to heal our community’s longstanding regional and racial divisions, bring it together and put it on a more forward-looking path,” he stated. “Litigation brought in the furtherance of such an objective which is likely to foster the attendant acrimony and controversy is inconsistent with my objectives.”
Stenger will face Republican nominee Paul Berry III (who is African-American) on November 6 and almost certainly be reelected, given that Democratic candidates received 183,040 primary votes while Republican candidates received only 56,864. The November 6 ballot also will include Libertarian candidate Nick Kasoff (who got 1,117 votes in the primary) and Constitution candidate Andrew Ostrowski (who got 180 votes in the primary).
Mantovani wished Stenger and the St. Louis County Council “well in their efforts to serve the region.”
“We all have many things to do,” Mantovani said, “and we should get on with them.”
