In addition to casting votes for president, statewide offices and ballot issues, residents of three St. Louis County Council districts will vote for their representatives next month.
The results of the Nov. 5 races could strengthen the Democratic majority on the St. Louis County Council. And they will have an impact on the often fractious relationship between the council and County Executive Sam Page.
2nd District
Democrat Gretchen Bangert and Republican Sudhir Rathod are vying for the chance to serve the 2nd District, which covers parts of north and central St. Louis County. It was represented for the past four years by Democrat Kelli Dunaway, who chose not to seek reelection.
Bangert, an outgoing state representative, narrowly beat her opponent in the Democratic primary. A third candidate in that race likely contributed to the close result.
Bangert spent part of her early career working for St. Louis County as an administrative assistant to the council and in the auditor’s office. She said that experience will serve her well if she is elected.
“I understand how county government works,” she said. “I also can add to that experience eight years at the state level. So I've made a lot of relationships, not just at the state level, but at the local level.”
Bangert’s priorities for the district include focusing on economic development and the cleanup of radioactive waste.
Dunaway was a strong ally of Page’s and endorsed Bangert’s opponent in the primary. But Bangert said she will work with anyone to serve her constituents.
“They’re tired of just constantly hearing about infighting,” she said. “They want the council to work together for their community.”
Sudhir Rathod came to the United States from India in 2005 to get a master's in business administration and later worked for Berkshire Hathaway. He’s currently in IT management.
Rathod’s first foray into local politics came when he won a seat on the Parkway School Board. He said he is running in the 2nd District to make a difference in how the council operates.
“I want to do something for the community,” he said. “I hate the partisan race. I wish the politicians would all come together and work for the county, and that’s why I’m here.”
Rathod said he will focus on crime and public safety in the 2nd District.
“If you drive around the 2nd District, you see a lot of businesses closing, and part of that is due to the safety and security issues,” he said. “My priority would be to make sure that we provide safety and security to the local businesses, including corporations, to make sure that they come back and develop more.”
4th District
The 4th District covers the northern tip of St. Louis County. It is currently represented by Democrat Shalonda Webb, the chair of the council.
Webb is running against Republican Rhonda Linders, a retired admissions counselor at a private school, and frequent Libertarian candidate Theo Brown Sr.
Linders has no campaign committee or online presence as a candidate. Brown has previously formed campaign committees but never spent or received more than $500 in contributions and does not have a committee for this election.
Webb is favored to win because the district is heavily Democratic.
6th District
The closest council race this year will likely be in the 6th District, which covers south St. Louis County. Republican Michael Archer, who defeated incumbent Ernie Trakas in August, is running against Democrat Kevin Schartner.
Archer, an attorney and the Republican committeeman from Oakville Township, said the general election is proving to be similar to the competitive Republican primary.
“It’s just that we are hitting a broader swath of people, and so we're getting more opinions about the senior property tax freeze and safety and security,” he said.
Archer, a former St. Louis County assistant prosecutor, said he is better equipped to address issues of public safety than Schartner because, “I know crime.”
Of all of the races for County Council, the 6th District is the one where Amendment 3, governing access to abortion, may make the biggest difference in who wins, especially if it increases Democratic turnout. A Democrat last represented the district in 2015, when Kevin O’Leary was picked to fill the rest of the term of Steve Stenger, who was elected county executive in 2014.
“Right now, I would say it’s a toss-up,” Archer said. “I think that issue is more telling down here than the presidential race.”
Schartner, an engineer at Ameren, got his start in politics by advocating for a tax increase for the Mehlville schools in 2015, which ended up winning by a landslide. He then went on to be elected to the district’s school board twice.
“I believe we need problem-solvers in our government, people who are going to represent us, who are going to put people over politics,” he said of his decision to run for the council. “And I don’t think we’ve seen that at the county level.”
Like his opponent, Schartner said he would focus on economic development and safety in the district.
Schartner said he believes Amendment 3 will help him become the first Democrat to represent the 6th District in nine years. But he said he would not be an automatic “yes” vote for the policies of fellow Democrat Sam Page, the county executive.
“I am an independent individual,” Schartner said. “I was a registered Republican at one point. I was a registered independent for a bit until I realized that in the state I was in, I couldn’t vote in the primaries. And now, I’m a registered Democrat.”
