Democrats choose former postmaster for House race

The first person up for the Democratic Party was the last one standing.

Mike Keefe, former Cape Gir­ardeau postmaster and chairman of the Cape Girardeau Parks Advisory Board, won the nomination Thursday evening as candidate for the 158th District Missouri House seat left open by the resignation of Nathan Cooper.

Keefe won the nod over Melinda McCulley, operator of a long-term care center in Scott City. Matt Hill, a lawyer who ran against Cooper in 2006, withdrew from the contest before the nominating committee could vote.

Keefe's nomination means two of the three political parties eligible to make nominations are finished with that job. George Webster, who received 2.7 percent of the vote in 2006, won the Libertarian nomination.

Republicans will meet Sept. 20 to choose their candidate, said Holly Lintner, chairwoman of the 158th District Republican Legislative Committee.

The special election will be held Feb. 5, the same date as Missouri's presidential primary.

Cooper, a Republican, resigned his seat Aug. 14, less than a week after pleading guilty to two federal felonies for immigration fraud.

Keefe announced his interest in the seat the day Cooper stepped down. In a short address to the nominating committee Thursday evening, Keefe said he's committed to working hard to win the election. No Democrat has won an election to represent Cape Girardeau in the Missouri House since Jerry Ford held the office for two terms from 1979 to 1983.

"I don't do anything to lose," Keefe said.

Keefe was Cape Girardeau's longest-serving postmaster, holding the job for almost 21 years before his retirement in December. He touted a reputation of honesty, enthusiasm and professionalism as he spoke to committee members and said his main concerns if elected would be schools, transportation and health care.

Asked to elaborate, Keefe said lawmakers need to deal with escalating health insurance costs in a way that makes coverage available to every citizen. On transportation, he said the state must focus attention on mass transit and programs that help the elderly and disabled.

"It would be nice to know there is a way to get there if I can't drive," Keefe said.

Keefe declared himself to be a Democrat when he announced his interest in the race. Before that, he said, he was not involved in politics.

Keefe and McCulley exchanged handshakes after the vote. McCulley had sought the nomination with a pitch focusing on her involvement in policy decisions on health care and work to help individuals needing to navigate through state bureaucracies.

"People want someone in Jefferson City who cares about their personal problems and who can bring respect back to this district," McCulley said.

McCulley was the Democratic nominee in the district in 1994, losing to then-Rep. Mary Kasten.

The Libertarian nomination was decided Tuesday evening, Webster said. The Libertarian Party Central Committee has only eight members.

Webster, 28, works in health-care information technology. Making the race is a civic duty, Webster said.

"The party needs someone qualified and willing to run," Webster said. "They asked me, and I stepped up. If you are really serious about something, you should go all the way with it."

A one-time Republican, Webster said he joined the Libertarian Party because it embraces a low-tax, small-government philosophy. "Republican Party leaders don't seem to understand fiscal conservatism," Webster said. "They spend like sailors on leave. There is a thing about the Libertarian Party believing in reduction in government that the two major parties don't seem to follow."

Republicans have several potential candidates, Lintner said, but she declined to name them. She was facing a deadline for setting the nominating meeting, and said she set the Sept. 20 date to push potential candidates for a decision.

"It will allow people to take the time and soul search and get in it for the long haul," Lintner said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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