Donna Baringer

The city’s Democratic Central Committee met Saturday with representatives of all 14 wards. Nine voted in support of endorsing Mayor Tishaura Jones, and 15 members voted for Spencer.

Incumbent Darlene Green and former alderwoman and state Rep. Donna Baringer were separated by just over 500 votes, according to final but official results.

Former St. Louis Alderwoman and state Rep. Donna Baringer is one of three candidates for comptroller. She faces incumbent Darlene Green and accounting firm owner Celeste Metcalf in the March 4 primary.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones is seeking a second term in office. Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler and businessman Andrew Jones are also running for mayor.

The Democrat will represent portions of southwest St. Louis in the Missouri House when he’s sworn into office in January.

Because the House made changes to the legislation previously approved by the Senate, including adding language that was stripped off, it has to again get Senate approval.

The ordinance would stop the open carry of firearms without a concealed carry permit. A similar proposal, which would have barred minors from carrying a firearm in public without adult supervision, failed to gain ground in the state legislature this year.

The legislation allows for the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for a period of up to five years if the rate of homicides in any jurisdiction exceeds 35 cases per every 100,000 people.

The St. Louis Democrat backs a bill allowing the governor to appoint a special prosecutor to handle serious crimes, a measure widely seen as a reaction to St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s management of her office.

The law makes technical changes on privately owned vacant properties with the goal of redevelopment, while millions in federal funding would go toward the removal of city-owned buildings.