On a special edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, 漏 2024 外网天堂 reporters Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann preview Tuesday鈥檚 election in St. Louis.
Seventeen of the Board鈥檚 28 seats will be up for grabs, with some . The race for the vacant 7th Ward seat, which encompasses areas of downtown St. Louis, is also particularly competitive. Three candidates 鈥� Jack Coatar, Chelsea Merta and Samuel Cummings 鈥� are vying to succeed longtime Alderwoman Phyllis Young, who resigned last year.
One person facing an easy road to re-election is St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed. In 2013 he lost to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, but Reed had a much more fruitful 2014 when he backed a number of candidates that ended up winning.
Rosenbaum talked with Reed on Monday. During the interview, Reed said:
- He was fully expecting Slay to field a candidate to oppose him for re-election. 鈥淭he mayor had every right to back a candidate,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd myself or anybody really shouldn鈥檛 begrudge him for that.鈥�
- The appointments of Mary Ellen Ponder as Slay鈥檚 chief of staff and Todd Waelterman as the city鈥檚 director of operations provide a chance for a fresh start between himself and the mayor.
- He鈥檚 not expecting a bill creating a civilian review board of the St. Louis Police Department to have subpoena power. 鈥淭hat being said, with the Public Safety Committee having the ability to use subpoena power, I think there needs to be a stronger partnership there,鈥� he said.
- He also expects there to be some public vote in the city to extend bonds going toward the Edward Jones Dome as a way to pay for a new football stadium.
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Music: "Untitled" by Interpol, "Obstacle 1" by Interpol and "PDA" by Interpol
