This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Sept. 1, 2009 - Three months after he first announced his candidacy, former Webster Groves councilman Randy Jotte has formally launched his Republican quest for the 5th District seat on the St. Louis County Council.
With no pre-publicity, Jotte held his kickoff last Friday at his home in Webster Groves. He says more than 100 supporters attended.
At the moment, his only rival is former Webster Groves Mayor Terri Williams, a Democrat who declared her candidacy in early July.
The 5th District post is now occupied by Democrat Barbara Fraser, who's foregoing a re-election bid to run for the state Senate.
An emergency-room physician, Jotte said his dual experience as a doctor and a politician should serve him well in county government.
“I have a unique window into the concerns of our county. As an emergency room physician, I encounter many people from all walks of life,'' he said in a statement issued Tuesday. "I care for patients’ immediate health concerns, but they also share with me their larger life issues, ranging from financial worries to problems with school, transportation and family.
"My public office experience has shown me that government can do much to help with these problems. Some areas in St. Louis County government, such as property assessment, MetroLink service, and tax spending accountability, desperately call for change."
Jotte, 49, narrowly lost a bid for the state House last fall to fellow former Webster Groves councilwoman Jeanne Kirkton, a Democrat.
As his bio notes:
"Jotte, a Harvard-educated emergency physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, has been appointed to several statewide health policy committees, including the Pandemic Influenza Healthcare Planning Committee and the Advisory Committee for 911 Services Oversight. From 2006 – 2008, Jotte was president of the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians. Jotte also founded Safe and Secure, a charity that has distributed over 2,000 car seats to low-income Missouri families."
The county's 5th District is generally swing political territory, taking in most of the county's inner-ring suburbs from University City south to Grantwood Village, MacKenzie and Marlborough.
