CLAYTON — ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Executive Sam Page, after a decisive victory on election night, is calling on Democrats to put past scuffles behind them, band together and take two Republican seats on the County Council.
In his acceptance speech Tuesday, Page boasted on progress in the county. He urged racial equity and regional cooperation. And then he concluded with a plea to Democrats at the council.
“For my part, I can say that the campaign battles among us Democrats are all finished and any punches thrown forgiven,†he said.
It would be a momentous change. Page has fought for years with Republicans — and Democrats — on the council. Relations have strained over COVID-19 policies, executive powers and legal counsel, plus regular dust-ups at weekly meetings. It got so bad the council worked to get propositions on the ballot to boost whistleblower protections and check Page’s executive appointments.
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And all of that leaves some skeptical the party can unite ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
“I really did not have the support of Sam Page from the beginning,†said Council Chair Rita Days, who trounced Page-endorsed challenger Terry Wilson in Tuesday’s District 1 primary.
“The fact that the Democrats were against me, that does not sit well with me,†she said.
If Page wins against GOP challenger Katherine Pinner, he will serve his first full term in office. He easily won the primary election against Jane Dueker, an attorney and police lobbyist, and had plenty of campaign cash left: $775,500, as of late July.
Page may well use the money to support two Democratic candidates in races he called “seriously†contested in his election-night speech: Districts 3 and 7.
Both have long been represented by Republicans. District 3, which includes much of West County along Interstate 270, has a higher portion of moderate and liberal voters and could be more competitive than District 7, which is more solidly Republican.
Vicki Englund, Democratic nominee in District 3, said she has good relationships with Page and all the Democrats on the council. Englund, 48, said she has been friends with Page for years. And as a former Missouri state representative, she worked with Days when Days served in the state Senate. Englund also knows Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, because Englund served alongside Webb’s husband when he was a state representative.
“This is a moment where the voters are kind of like, ‘OK guys, seriously? You guys just need to get along,’†said Englund, who owns a small e-commerce business and lives in Sunset Hills. “I know they say that all the time, but there comes a time when it’s just ridiculous.â€
Dennis Hancock, the GOP nominee in District 3, said he’s counting on his record as the former mayor of Fenton to gain voter support. Hancock, 69, believes Page signaled in his speech that he will be directly involved in getting Democrats elected.
“I think that was his way of letting everybody involved in these races know that he has a big war chest he doesn’t have to touch for his race and that he’s going to be willing to give financial support to those who he sees as his supporters,†said Hancock, a senior facilities manager for commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.
Incumbent Republican Councilman Mark Harder and Democratic challenger Kristine Callis, candidates in District 7, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Tim Fitch, a Republican who decided not to seek reelection after he was drawn out of District 3 boundaries, doubted Democrats could flip either seat. He predicted a rough road for Page with the council. And he said new laws, including the propositions passed Tuesday, further limit Page’s power.
“This is going to be a much different four-year term for him than the last three years in office have been,†Fitch said.
“He burned this serious bridge by backing (Days’) opponent,†he said. “And that’s going to take some work to fix.â€
The council now has a 4-3 Democratic majority, including Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, and Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, who have backed Page.
Two more Democrats could shift power to Page.
In a phone call late last week, Page insisted the party can come together.
“That’s what we do,†he said.
“There are so many things happening in our country right now,†he continued. “The differences between Democrats are small compared to the differences between Democratic values and our Republican opponents.â€
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