This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Jan. 10, 2011 - St. Louis County's Republican and Democratic political leaders are slated to choose this week their respective nominees for the new elective post of county assessor, which will be on the April 5 ballot.
The county's Republican Central Committee is to meet on Wednesday, with its 54-member Democratic counterpart convening on Thursday.
The victor on April 5 will hold the post until the end of 2014. The assessor spot also will be on the November 2014 ballot, for a full four-year term, and candidates then can file in the usual manner without party support.
Because the parties choose the first nominees for the job, the contenders largely have been low-key -- directing their campaigns to the central committee members, not the general public.
Democrat Leslie Broadnax, a lawyer from Bellefontaine Neighbors who chairs St. Louis County's Board of Equalization, has been more upfront than her rivals. In an email sent late Sunday, Broadnax said she already has "has written personal letters, emailed, phoned, sent a You Tube video or met face-to-face with each Democratic committee member to express her interest."
She also appeared on the radio show of former St. Louis Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. "to discuss her desire to be the candidate and to garner community support."
Her motto: "No excuses: If you want it, you will go get it."
So far, at least two other Democrats are reported to have declared their interest: state Rep. Jake Zimmerman, D-Olivette, and David Jefferson, a cab driver of Hazelwood.
Zimmerman -- who had been noncommittal in an interview a few weeks ago -- confirmed Monday that he is seeking the job. He said he was "cautiously optimistic" that he will win the nomination Thursday night.
While Zimmerman has no background in real estate, he says he does have a background in public policy. "I think that what St Louis County residents want is fairness in the assessment process," he added.
Two Republicans so far have indicated their interest: former St. Louis County Executive Gene McNary and L.K. "Chip" Wood, 56, the chairman of the L.K. Wood real estate firm.
