April 4, 2023 General Municipal Election Ballot

With the Primary Election behind us, let's look at what will be on your April 4th Ballot.
View Sample Citywide Ballot.  but remember you'll only see the President of the Board, Ward 4 Alder, and issues on your ballot*

Important Dates:
03/14/23: Application-based absentee voting (both by mail and in-person) begins.
03/21/23: No excuse needed absentee voting begins.
03/22/23: Last day to request an application-based absentee ballot by mail.
04/03/23: Last day to vote absentee in person (both types).
04/04/23: 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.

President of the Board of Aldermen
Current BoA President Dr. Megan E. Green is running unopposed.

Run-off Election for Aldermen Ward 4 
Incumbent Alders Bret Narayan (Ward 24) and Joe Vacarro (Ward 23) will face off in this General Election. The Primary on 3/7 was a close matchup as only 35 votes separated Vacarro and Narayan. When you factor in the third candidate Otto with 220 votes and voters who chose more than one candidate, this race could go either way.

The neighborhood associations of the New 4th Ward held a candidate forum on Wednesday, March 22 at the Epiphany Gym. Watch forum video

Narayan has broad support including endorsements ranging from the St. Louis Police Officers Association and Firefighters Local 72 as well as Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, SEIU, and Unite Here! Plus endorsements from BoA President Green, The Sierra Club, and Pro-Choice Missouri (formally NARAL), STL Young Dems, and several elected committeewomen, including myself.

Vacarro has been heavily scrutinized in the press for egregious typos in his campaign literature and the unprofessional email address "car wash daddy" as well as his interaction with an SLMPD officer in March 2022 that most certainly led to his loss of police support this election. His popularity remains based on a promise to personally take care of constituent services (such as replacing trash cans). Still, one of the questions voters should be asking themselves is how will that level of service be sustainable when Joe has twice the number of constituents to answer to?

Here is a good summary of this Aldermanic Election under the new reduced 14 ward maps.

SLPS School Board
Two (2) positions will be filled, currently held by Board Members Hogan & Sonnier.

Watch the Candidate forum:

SADIE WEISS - Weiss holds a master's degree in social work and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of the UMSL Bridge Program, Sadie supports students across the St. Louis region as they prepare for post-secondary opportunities. Weiss has the endorsement of AFT Local 420 Teacher's union, The St. Louis Labor Council, and the Ecumenical Leadership Council.

TRACY E. HYKES - Endorsed by the AFT Local 420 Teacher's union.

Solidarity with SLPS has also endorsed Weiss and Hykes

DR. J. L. (COACH WIN) QUINONES - Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1992 to 2001. He earned a bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1994, a master's degree from American University in Dubai in 1997, and a Ph.D. from American University in Dubai in 2000. His career experience includes working as an education advocate. Quinones also ran for an at-large seat in 2021 and again in 2022, but finished in third place behind Hubbard and Jones.

Issues

Charter Commission Amendment - will empower St. Louis City residents to suggest updates to the city charter, enacted in 1914. Any change recommended from the commission to the charter would still require approval by 3/5 of St. Louis voters. I urge you to vote YES on this measure. Learn more at STLPropC.com 

 - Read more on Prop C from St. Louis Public Radio

Additional 3% Tax on Recreational Marijuana Sales  - this issue is a proposal to impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sales of adult-use non-medical (recreational) marijuana made in the City of St. Louis, as authorized by Amendment 3 of the Missouri Constitution. The money from the sales tax would go into the General Fund (it IS possible that one of the 14 BoA members could sponsor a bill with more direction on how this 3% would be spent in the future). I urge you to vote YES on this issue.

The membership of the open ward organization 4th Ward Democrats has also voted to endorse YES on both of these issues.

*Hi-Pointe (W4 Precinct 11) Only*

A tiny part of what was W4 Precinct 1 is now Precinct 11 due to the fact the Community College District lines don't align with our other maps. For just this part of Hi-Pointe, you will also have the Community College race on your ballot.

Pam Ross - incumbent Pam Ross is the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees Subdistrict 2 in Missouri. Ross assumed office on April 20, 2017, and is running for re-election.

Nicole Robinson  - is challenging Ross.

New Ward 4 Aldermanic Election

In my previous post, I talked about the whole Board of Aldermen landscape. But for us, in the old 24th and 23rd wards – now in the New 4th Ward [see map], let's take a closer look at our three candidates: BRET NARAYAN, JOSEPH [JOE] VACCARO, and CASEY OTTO.

On your March 7th ballot, you'll also see MEGAN ELLYIA GREEN who is running unopposed for a full term as President of the Board of Aldermen. View citywide sample ballot, remember you'll only see President of the Board and Ward 4 candidates.

On 1/18/23 the 4th Ward Democrats hosted an aldermanic forum with all three candidates in attendance. You can watch the forum part one and part two here.  I've heard there is an additional forum in the works to be hosted by the neighborhood associations - this will take place in March after the Primary Election.

We have three candidates filed in the new 4th ward, and since this election will be under our new Prop D rules, you will be able to vote for "as many candidates as you approve of" on March 7th, and the top two candidates will run-off in the April 4th General Election. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES, in ballot order:

BRET NARAYAN  

@STL4Ward on Twitter
Bret Narayan is the current 24th-ward Alder. Learn more about Narayan's legislative priorities.

Bret Narayan has served on the Board of Aldermen representing ward 24 since 2019 –– emerging as the chosen candidate from a crowded field of challengers including a former Alderman and both Committeepersons at the time.

Narayan has the endorsement of the membership of the 4th Ward Democrats, St. Louis Young Democrats, Comptroller Darlene Green, Pro-Choice Missouri (formerly NARAL), and the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He also has my endorsement and strong union support.

Want to see more about Bret's campaign finances? Review Bret Narayan's MEC reports.

JOSEPH [JOE] VACCARO

@aldermanJoe on Twitter
Joe Vaccaro is the current 23rd-ward Alder. Learn more about Vaccaro's legislative priorities.

Joe Vaccaro has served on the Board of Aldermen since 2009 representing the 23rd ward. He has run unopposed in the past three elections (2021, 2017, and 2013) after winning a 7-way race in 2009.

Vaccaro made headlines last year after an interaction with an SLMPD officer went public for all the wrong reasons. You can read more from the Post Dispatch  and watch the bodycam footage for yourself.

Want to see more about Joe's campaign finances? Review Joe Vaccaro's MEC reports.

CASEY OTTO

Casey Otto is a relative political newcomer and Clifton Heights resident. He was elected as a Board member for the Orchard Farm R-V School District (St. Charles) in 2011 and 2014 before returning to St. Louis city.

Casey doesn't currently have a campaign committee registered with the MEC.