Reduced Ward Aldermanic Landscape & Pres of the BoA

We've been talking about it for a while, but this upcoming Municipal election in the spring of 2023 will be when we elect our new representation on the Board of Aldermen following both Ward Reduction and the most recent Census Redistricting. 

A little background, in 2012 voters approved a Charter amendment that was to reduce the wards in St. Louis City from 28 to 14 following the 2020 Census. In December 2021, the Board of Aldermen approved this new map with our 14 ward boundaries. 

This will make for an interesting election cycle, since most wards now have more than one incumbent Alderperson within their boundaries. Both Joe Vaccarro and Bret Narayan reside in the new Ward 4 and are expected to run. I suspect we also will have some new faces jump into the race. In 2019, in the old 24th Ward we had five candidates, including recalled Alder Tom Bauer and both committeepersons (at the time). I can assure you I as your current Committeewoman will NOT be running, but beyond that, we'll just need to wait and see. Aldermen Vaccarro ran unopposed the last time he ran in 2021.

The new Ward 4 is basically the old Ward 24 + three precincts in Lindenwood Park from the old Ward 23. View the new Ward 4 map. 

You can read more background of the reduction process in this publication from David W. Sweeney, Michael T. Crawford. The link above also spells out the process for how the Aldermanic elections will be handled and where current alders reside. Note: Some Alders listed in that article have changed after several resignations and then Special Elections in 2022. Current list of Alders & new wards is later in this blog.

 In this upcoming Municipal Election, EVERY ward will elect their new Alderperson. The even numbered wards (like us, in the new ward 4) will elect their Alders for 4-year terms, the odd numbered wards for 2-year terms, thus setting up the staggered elections for the next decade.

Former 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Green was elected as President of the Board of Aldermen on 11/8/22 but that election was only for the remainder of Lewis Reed's term. The full 4-year term for President of the Board of Aldermen will also be on your March 7, 2023 ballot. It's expected that Green will run again but we'll have to wait and see if anyone chooses to challenge her. Jack Coatar who also ran for Pres BoA in November has said he will not run again. Interestingly enough, Megan Green will be inaugurated tomorrow (11/28/22) on the same day filing opens for the March Primary.

This upcoming election will also be under our new Prop D rules, or Approval Voting for both President of the BoA and Alderpersons. In November 2020, voters approved a measure that makes some city elections (mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen) from a plurality voting system to an approval voting system for primary elections.

The key things to remember about Approval Voting are:

• Candidates will not have a party affiliation (such as DEM) listed by their name, all candidates are officially non-partisan. You may see a candidate campaign under a party affiliation, but it won't be listed on the ballot. 

• In the Primary (3/7/23), you can vote for as many candidates as you approve of with the top two candidates moving on to a run-off in the General Election (4/4/23)

Important Election Dates:

11/28/22: Candidate filing begins.
01/06/23: Candidate filing ends.
01/24/23: Application-based absentee voting (both by mail and in-person) begins.
02/08/23: Last day to register to vote in this election.
02/21/23: No excuse needed absentee voting begins.
02/22/23: Last day to request an application-based absentee ballot by mail.
03/06/23: Last day to vote absentee in person (both types).
03/07/23: Election day. All mail-in ballots must be received by 7 PM. All in-person voters must be in line to vote by 7 PM.

To the best of my knowledge, these are new wards where current Alders reside. I'll keep this as up-to-date as possible during the filing period. Black text = filed. Grey text = in ward incumbent.

See final unofficial candidate list. Filing is now closed.

** (#) denotes current ward alder

1 ANNE SCHWEITZER (13)
1 TONY KIRCHNER 
1 MATTHEW KOTRABA

2 Tom Oldenburg (16)
2 PHILL MENENDEZ 

2 KATIE BELLIS 

3 SHANE COHN (25) 

4 JOSEPH (JOE) VACCARO (23) 
4 BRET NARAYAN (24)
4 CASEY OTTO

5 JOSEPH (JOE) VOLLMER (10) 

5 HELEN PETTY

6 DANIELA VELAZQUEZ
6 JENNIFER FLORIDA

7 ALISHA SONNIER (school board) 

7 J, P. MITCHOM

7 CEDRIC (C-SHARP) REDMON

8 CARA SPENCER (20)
8 SHEDRICK (NATO CALIPH) KELLEY

8 KENNETH A (KEN) ORTMANN

9 TINA (SWEET-T) PIHL (17) 
9 MICHAEL J. GRAS (28) 
9 MICHAEL BROWNING

10 SHAMEEM CLARK HUBBARD (26) 
10 EMMETT L. COLEMAN

11 Laura Keys (21)
11 CARLA (COFFEE) WRIGHT

12 Sharon Tyus (1)
12 DARRON M. COLLINS-BEY 

12 TASHARA T. EARL
12 YOLANDA (GLASS) BROWN
12 WALTER RUSH

13 LISA MIDDLEBROOK (2)
13 Pam Boyd (27)
13 NORMA J. WALKER (22)

14 Brandon Bosley (3)
14 JAMES PAGE (5)

14 RASHEEN ALDRIDGE (Rep 78th)
14 EBONY M. WASHINGTON