Smith, McMillan win Democratic primary
Of the St. Louis American
On yet another hot summer night in St. Louis, Jeff Smith breezed to victory over a cluttered field of Democrats on Tuesday to win the party’s nomination for the 4th District state Senate seat.
In an uncontested race, 19th Ward Alderman Mike McMillan won the Democratic nomination for license collector, which means another citywide seat in the city of St. Louis for an African-American elected official come November.
McMillan had a cakewalk. But Smith and his staff have worked for weeks from offices on the second floor of a modest, non-air conditioned building in the 4500 block of Olive Street, where temperatures soared to more than 120 degrees.
The 90-degree night on which he scored his first major political triumph was a break for Smith and his campaign team, who joined hundreds of supporters crowded into an upscale home on Lindell Boulevard to celebrate.
“Our message has been about building St. Louis and tearing down the racial demarcation line at Delmar,” Smith said.
“I had so many people tell me, ‘Don’t put your picture on your flyer here’ or ‘don’t say this to that audience.’ But we took the same message everywhere, and we found out that people want the same things – strong schools, safe neighborhoods and someone to stand up and take the fight to Matt Blunt.”
When Smith takes the fight to Blunt, he will find lined up alongside the governor his new chief of staff, Ed Martin. Last week, Martin announced that he would leave his position as chairman of the St. Louis city Board of Election Commissioners – a position to which Blunt appointed him – to work for the governor on September 1.
“Jeff has a very progressive voice. We’ll be able to embrace him,” said state Rep. John Bowman, chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.
“We’ll sit down and talk with him about the issues important to the black community and work together to move the agenda of the Black Caucus forward.”
Smith captured just under 37 percent of the vote, easily topping Yaphett El-Amin (24.2 percent), Derio Gambaro (23.61 percent), Amber Boykins (12.21 percent) and Kenneth Jones (3 percent).
While she did not say Boykins’ and Jones’ candidacies cost her the nomination for the open seat, El-Amin did say, “If you look at the numbers, had there been one black candidate the outcome would have been different.”
Hinting that future elections could have multiple black candidates, El-Amin said, “Next year, there will be an election for the 5th Senate District seat. Hopefully, there will be more dialogue and the community can come together and ensure that there is strong black leadership in that seat.”
While El-Amin fell short of her senatorial aspiration, her husband, Talibdin El-Amin, won the seat she relinquished in the state House of Representatives. He won 43.75 percent of the vote in the 57th House district, topping Joseph Palm (29.13 percent) and Karla May (27.13 percent).
Jamilah Nasheed, the third member of “Team El-Amin,” also launched her political career by beating political veteran Sharon Tyus in the race for the 60th District state House seat. In one of the closer races of the night, Nasheed triumphed with 43.7 percent of the vote.
Nasheed is among politicians questioning the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education’s recent actions and will work against social promotion of students from the district.
Look for her to campaign for an increase in state minimum wage levels and for economic development in the district.
U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay said Wednesday morning that he is excited about El-Amin and Nasheed winning state legislator seats.
“They will be a great addition to Jefferson City,” he said.
“I also think Jeff Smith will represent the district well and I look forward to working with him.”
Clay and Mayor Francis G. Slay were among the politicians who made their way to Smith’s victory party following his win.
Terrible turnout
Clay, who won his party’s nomination in an unopposed race in the 1st Congressional District, said that higher voter turnout on the South Side than the North Side again played a role in the election.
“Jeff had the ability to overcome the (Gambaro votes) on the South Side,” Clay said. “On the North Side, all the votes were being split between three candidates.”
As for the low black voter turnout, Clay said, “It didn’t used to be this way in this district. But it is now.”
While Mike Jones, St. Louis County’s head of communications and policy, watched County Executive Charlie Dooley sail to easy victory in his primary race, he noted why he thought Smith triumphed.
“He did something unusual in this day. He went out and asked for people’s votes,” Jones said.
“You didn’t have to go to a rally or an event. He knocked on your door. You talked to him in your front yard.”
Smith said he now plans to challenge Blunt at every turn.
“There is a growing crop of young Democrats in the state Senate, and we are going to take the state in a more promising direction,” he said.
“We want this state to be a national leader and not the next Mississippi.”
As for Yaphett El-Amin, she expressed resilience.
“I have now been afforded the time to do things locally and contribute to my community. I’m still committeewoman and will still be very much involved,” she said.
“I loved being able to represent my people. I talked the talked and walked the walked. I will continue to do so.”
Easy wins
McMillan’s campaign partner Greg F.X. Daly cruised to nomination for the office of collector of revenue with 98.5 percent of the vote.
State Rep. Rodney Hubbard (58th District) thumped William (Bill) Haas by taking 73.3 percent of the vote. State Reps. Connie Johnson (61st) and Robin Wright-Jones (63) ran unopposed.
In St. Louis County, John Bowman (70th), Esther Haywood (71st) and Juanita Head Walton (81st) waltzed to easy wins, while Ted Hoskins (80th) ran unopposed. In the 74th House district, Ingrid Owens and Steve Webb split the black vote, giving the win to Tony George who was running for his term-limited father’s seat.
