Cape council contested race sets stage for February primary

Cape Girardeau’s municipal election next April will feature only one contested city council race.

Nate Thomas

Ward 3 Councilman Nate Thomas faces a challenge from accountant Bradley Tuschhoff and pastor Renita Green, setting the stage for a primary election in advance of the April vote.

Bradley Tuschhoff

Green of St. James AME Church filed a petition Tuesday, the last day of filing, to run for the Ward 3 seat. But Green did not submit enough valid signatures on her petition, city officials said.

Renita Green

Late in the day, she submitted additional signatures, which still must be certified by the Cape Girardeau County Clerk’s Office, according to city clerk Gayle Conrad.

Under the city’s charter, candidates must secure signatures of at least 50 registered voters in their ward in order to file for office.

Green said she submitted a petition with 55 signatures Tuesday morning, but only 43 proved valid.

“They were not registered voters,” Green said of the disallowed signatures.

Green, who was in St. Louis on Tuesday, said her supporters collected another 11 signatures and submitted them to city hall by the filing deadline.

If Green qualifies, a primary election would be held Feb. 4 to narrow the field to two candidates.

The general election will be held April 7.

Robbie Guard

Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard is unopposed for reelection.

Shannon Truxel

The city is assured of at least one new council member as Shannon Truxel is unopposed for the Ward 5 seat. Councilman Ryan Essex has announced he won’t seek reelection.

Essex, chief operating officer with Gibson Recovery Center, said he wants to concentrate on his professional duties, including the opportunity to serve on state committees dealing with mental health.

Council members in August chose Thomas to fill a vacant Ward 3 post. The vacancy was created when Victor Gunn resigned in July.

Thomas, a physical therapist for Saint Francis Medical Center who owns multiple properties in Ward 3, has past experience working in government relations in Washington, D.C.

He has voiced concern about tight city finances and expressed the desire to “find more revenue.”

Tuschhoff, who is challenging Thomas, is a certified public accountant with Begley, Young, Unterreiner & White.

He applied to fill the vacancy earlier this year, as did Green.

Tuschhoff said Tuesday he has budgetary experience.

“I have done audits for different cities in Missouri and Illinois,” he said. “I know how the government is run financially quite a bit.”

Tuschhoff, who attended Cape Girardeau government’s Citizen Academy this fall, said he now knows even more about “what all the city does.”

Green ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for a state House seat in 2018.

“I think local government is important,” she said. “The things that happen at the local level impact people’s day-to-day lives immediately,”

She said, “I like the idea, the opportunity to help people engage and to represent their values and views.”

Truxel operates a private investigations business.

A former nuisance abatement officer for the city, Truxel now works as an independent contractor investigating insurance fraud and conducting criminal and civil background checks.

Truxel said she sees a “disconnect” between residents and council members.

“I don’t feel like people feel they can contact them and voice their concerns,” she said.

“I do think, when people have problems, it is important to identify the problems, where they come from, and try to solve them,” she said.

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