Voters in St. Louis’ 8th Ward will go to the polls on July 1 to select their new member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
The city’s Board of Election Commissioners announced the date for the special election on Tuesday. It’s required by the April 15 inauguration of Cara Spencer as the city’s mayor.
The city’s Democratic Party plans to meet in mid-May to select its candidate, while those who wish to run without party labels must turn in nearly 370 signatures by May 30. The winner will serve the remainder of Spencer’s term, which lasts until April 2027.
A voter-approved switch to nonpartisan elections in 2021 did not change the candidate selection process for special elections.
At least one person, Shedrick Kelley, has already created a campaign committee to run for the seat. Kelley said he plans to seek the Democratic nomination but will also gather signatures as a backup.
Whoever is elected will be thrown headlong into several major redevelopment projects, including the Railway Exchange Building and the Millennium Hotel.
The city has already selected Cordish Cos. as the developer for the Millennium site. While the board member from the ward in which a project is located generally handles any needed legislation, the city’s development agency said it would work with board President Megan Green’s office to identify the best sponsor.
Officials with Cordish did not immediately say whether they prefer to wait until the winner is sworn in over the summer or have a different board member introduce the bill.
