ST. LOUIS — Two area county executives handily turned back challengers in Republican primaries Tuesday. Voters also approved several bond issues, including one that would fund new pools in Florissant. And voters gave a pink slip to a ºüÀêÊÓƵ lawmaker who had been censured by his colleagues in 2021.
Among races of note:
• Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon of De Soto defeated his Republican primary opponent Paul Wieland, a term-limited state senator from Imperial. Gannon received 56% of the vote; Wieland, 44%.
• Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold won the four-way battle for Wieland’s 22nd District seat in Jefferson County. Coleman received 35% of the vote. Former Rep. Jeff Roorda, a former Democrat and police union business manager, came in second, with 24%, followed by Rep. Dan Shaul, 23%, and Rep. Shane Roden, 18%.
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• St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann of St. Charles trounced Arnie Dienoff of O’Fallon, a frequent candidate for various offices over the years, in the Republican primary. Ehlmann took 82.5% of the vote; Dienoff, 17.5%.
• Rep. Raychel Proudie defeated Rep. Michael Person in the new 73rd House district in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County. Proudie won with 62% of the vote; Person, 38%.
Another North County incumbent legislator also was defeated in the Democratic primary — Rep. Neil Smith, who lost to Chantelle Nickson-Clark in the 67th District.
• Rep. Nick Schroer of St. Charles County defeated Rep. John Wiemann of O’Fallon in the GOP primary to succeed term-limited state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, in the county’s 2nd District. Schroer received nearly 58%; Wiemann, 42%.
• Rep. Wiley Price was defeated by challenger Del Taylor in Democratic contest in ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ 84th district. Price was censured by fellow lawmakers in early 2021 and stripped of committee assignments following a probe into alleged threats he made to cover up a relationship with a Capitol intern. Taylor, who received 57% of the vote, is unopposed in the general election.
• George Hruza, a dermatologist from Huntleigh, defeated Brett Schenck, an attorney from Creve Coeur, in the Republican battle to represent the 24th Senate district.
• Two veteran St. Charles County Council members, Joe Cronin and John White, were defeated in GOP primary races. Cronin, of St. Paul, lost to former Wentzville Alderman Matt Swanson. White lost to Tim Baker; both live in the St. Charles area.
• In the city of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, Democratic nominee Laura Keys defeated three other candidates, all independents, running to succeed John Collins-Muhammad, who resigned before being indicted on federal corruption charges. Keys, who received 57% of the vote in the 21st Ward special election, will serve the final eight months of Collins-Muhammad’s term.
• ºüÀêÊÓƵ voters also approved a charter amendment to increase the maximum fine for illegal dumping to $1,000 from $500 and passed a measure creating the Holly Hills special business district.
• Florissant voters approved a ballot measure to support rebuilding two new outdoor pools, one in both Bangert and Koch parks, along with helping maintain the city’s indoor pool in the James J. Eagan Community Center. The measure received 61% of the vote.
Posted at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.