Another incumbent alderman has lost his seat at City Hall.
Fred Heitert, a 32-year members of the Board of Aldermen and for many years its only Republican, lost his re-election bid by 48 votes to Democrat Larry Arnowitz, a longtime city employee.
Heitert is the second sitting alderman to lose his seat this election cycle. Bill Waterhouse, the former 24th Ward alderman, was ousted in the March primary by the man he ousted in a recall, Tom Bauer. Bauer lost tonight to independent Scott Ogilve.
The other city races went as expected. Eight of the aldermen up for election (the even wards and Board president) faced no opposition, and four held off Green Party challengers , with Craig Schmid, in the 20th, beating an independent challenger as well. Joe Vollmer, in the 10th Ward, defeated a Republican opponent. There was also a special election in the 11th Ward to fill the seat vacated when Matt Villa resigned. His uncle, Tom Villa, handily beat Republican Deborah Fisher.
And Proposition E, the measure that keeps the city's one percent earnings tax for another five years, also drew wide support. Unofficial results in Kansas City show the tax passing by a strong margin there, too.
As of 11:05 pm today, with 100 percent of the city's 203 precincts reporting, here are the unofficial results in selected races from the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners: (winners are in italics)
Proposition E (earnings tax)
- Yes (to keep the tax for the next five years) 87.6% (34,190 votes)
- No (to phase out the tax) 12.5% (4,864 votes)
Ward 12
- Fred Heitert (incumbent) 49.04% (1,282 votes)
- Larry Arnowitz 50.88% (1,330 votes)
Ward 24
- Tom Bauer 37.6% (826 votes)
- Scott Ogilvie 61.5% (1,351 votes)
Here are unofficial results from other races around the region:
St. Louis County assessor (with 100% of precincts reporting)
- Jake Zimmerman (D) 63.7% (73,356 votes)
- L.K."Chip" Wood (R) 36.2% (41,645 votes)
Mayor of Florissant (candidates were replacing Robert Lowery, who served the city for more than 30 years - with 100% of precincts reporting)
- Tom Schneider 37.4% (3,803 votes)
- Mark Behlmann 22.8% (2,312 votes)
- Andrew G. Podleski 11.4% (1,156 votes)
- Susan M. Geerling 23.7% (2,410 votes)
- Other candidates 4.75% (482 votes)
O'Fallon, Mo. smoking ban (bans smoking in most enclosed public places, including all bars and restaurants - with 100% of precincts reporting)
- Yes 72.6% (7,217 votes)
- No 27.4% (2,726 votes)
A smoking ban in Cape Girardeau that would have included the city's new Isle of Capri casino was defeated.
Mayor of St. Charles (with 100% of precincts reporting)
- Patti York (incumbent) 47.5% (4,872 votes)
- Sally Faith 52.2% (5,356 votes)
