Without a real contest at the top of ballot for mayor or comptroller, the St. Louis City Municipal Primary election is turning into a dull movie. Except for a few aldermanic elections, the headlines could be written this week declaring Mayor Slay and Comptroller Darlene Green reelected by wide margins.
The fate of a few truly contested aldermanic wards is not as clear. In the 1st Ward, former state Rep. Charles Quincy Troupe, former 20th Ward Ald. Sharon Tyus and civil rights activist the Rev. Cleo Willis are all vying to succeed Irene Smith, the current 1st Ward alderman who decided to run for mayor. The fate of all three candidates will rest on their ability to turn out their respected bases.
The other aldermanic races of interest are the 4th, 5th and 17th Wards. 4th Ward Ald. Peggy Ryan is facing a recall vote organized by her former ally, 4th Ward Democratic Committeeman O.L. Shelton. In the 5th Ward, incumbent Ald. April Ford-Griffin is being challenged by her nemesis, 5th Ward Democratic Committeewoman Cheryl Nelson. Nelson is teamed up with state Rep. and 5th Ward Democratic Committeeman Rodney Hubbard. With plenty of money and the power of incumbency, Ford-Griffin is going to be hard to beat.
Another race of interest is the effort by Rodney Burchfield to unseat 17th Ward incumbent Ald. Joe Roddy. Burchfield is engaged in an uphill battle to unseat Roddy, a scion of one of the most influential political machines in the city of St. Louis. But the EYE is hearing that Freeman Bosley Sr. can’t take his reelection for granted. Jeff Hardin is expected to make a strong showing.