OL Shelton pulled it off. There is a new comeback kid in town. In a special election on June 7, Shelton got 294 votes, or 38 percent of the vote in a four-person election to fill an aldermanic vacancy in the 4th Ward.
The aldermanic seat became vacant March 1, when 4th Ward voters elected to recall Alderwoman Peggy Ryan. Shelton n once a mentor and political associate of Ryan n was the lead organizer in the effort to recall her. The other 62 percent of the vote went to independent candidates Sam Moore (222 votes), Ryan (152 votes) and Gregory “G” Tumlin (125 votes). Thirteen votes were cast for write-in candidates.
Shelton put together an eclectic coalition of people, who came together for varied reasons. Some were friends and family. Another group voted to send a message to Mayor Francis Slay that they were not going to let white Democrats determine who is going to represent blacks in North St. Louis. A third group got in line with Shelton because they were not in power, which helps to explain the support Shelton received from his one-time adversary, Democratic Committeewoman Norma Leggette.
Although Shelton’s 38 percent pull of the electorate is not a resounding endorsement, a win is a win.