Hope Whitehead had done her homework and estimated that she would need 800 votes to win the special election on Tuesday to replace the disgraced T.D. El-Amin as state representative in Missouri’s 57th District.
She was not far off. It would have taken 764 votes to beat her opponent, Karla May. In the end, Whitehead tallied nearly 1,000 votes – 969 – for a total of 55.7 percent of the vote.
An attorney with extensive experience in state government, Whitehead was the Democratic nominee to replace El-Amin, who pled guilty to soliciting and accepting bribes and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was selected by the Democratic committeepeople in the district.
May filed as an Independent, but attempted to pass as a Democrat at the polls. The first sample ballots her supporters were handing out on Tuesday were printed on green paper, like the Democrat ballots, and contained what appeared to be Democratic Party endorsements.
Whitehead raised an objection to the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, which ordered May to print new ballots.
“Her argument was there were a lot of Democrats behind her, but it was misleading – it implied that ward had actually endorsed her,” election commissioner Scott Leiendecker told The American.
May also did not obey election law in reporting who gave her the money to print the ballots. In a report filed eight days before the election, May’s largest donor – they gave $2,000 – is listed only as “WCM.” A Missouri Ethics Commission official confirmed that May was required to provide an address and occupation for anyone who contributes that large of a sum.
22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd turns up on her report as having given $344 in “in kind” contributions. Though May also enjoyed the active support of 1st Ward Alderman Charles “Quincy” Troupe, Boyd was by far her most visible and active advocate.
The 57th District covers part of North City. Since Boyd energetically backed a candidate who was opposing the Democratic nominee, North City political observers considered the results on Tuesday to be, in part, a referendum on Boyd’s ability to make rain.
He failed as a rainmaker – though 44 percent of the vote is not an embarrassment for an Independent. Also, the special election only picked the representative who will complete the rest of El-Amin’s unexpired term. A repeat of this contest is expected in the August primary.
Whitehead and her supporters will be watching to learn the identity of “WCM” and anyone else who may support May financially.
Mayor Francis G. Slay appears nowhere on May’s campaign literature. A public of endorsement from Slay would only hurt her in-district anyway, since Slay was soundly defeated by fellow Democrat Irene J. Smith and Independent Maida Coleman in every ward that forms part of the 57th District.
Slay does have a track record of funding and supporting Boyd. For example, the Slay campaign gave Boyd $1,500 on May 29, 2009 and then another $250 only two days later, which seemed odd. The American asked a Slay campaign spokesman to explain the odd second payment, just two days later. Richard Callow replied, “Mayor Slay supports Alderman Boyd’s campaign, and has – and will – continue to contribute to support it.”
There is an irony in a North City alderman like Boyd operating so directly in the election to replace El-Amin as state representative. After all, there was an “Alderman X” involved in the scenario where El-Amin solicited and accepted bribes from a constituent.
Other media sources have conjectured who might be the “Alderman X” who allegedly was shaking down this constituent, who then filmed El-Amin shaking him down. It almost certainly was not Jeffrey Boyd.
However, Boyd’s frenzy of activity to defeat the state rep candidate his own Democratic committee nominated is interesting in connection to “Alderman X.” It may relate to one reason (other than money) why El-Amin was motivated to go against “Alderman X” and intercede with a City of St. Louis department head on behalf of a constituent who said he was struggling with his alderman.
El-Amin clearly saw it as an opportunity to stake out some new advantage over “Alderman X” and his political family.
“This puts me at war,” El-Amin was recorded saying.
Jeffrey Boyd’s effort on behalf of Karla May has seen to it that North City remains politically at war with itself. This is likely to continue at least until the August primary. And who really wins when North St. Louis is at war with itself?
