FELLOW DEMOCRATS WONDER WHERE ROTHMAN-SEROT IS

With the November general election just 50 days away, Democratic leaders in Southeast Missouri are beginning to ask, Where's Geri?

Geri Rothman-Serot of St. Louis County, who emerged from a 14-candidate field of unknowns last month to win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, has not been seen in this part of the state. In fact, most party leaders have not heard from anyone associated with her campaign.

Editors of daily newspapers in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Kennett said they were unaware of any events Rothman-Serot had attended in their areas.

Rothman-Serot, the former wife of former House speaker, lieutenant governor and 1984 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Kenneth Rothman, won her first race for public office two years ago when she was elected to the St. Louis County Council. She filed for the U.S. Senate on Jan. 30.

"I have not heard a thing from her," said Todd McBride of Cape Girardeau, who is past chairman and the present vice chairman of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee. "I know she is busy doing other places, but you would think we would have seen her by now."

"If she's been here I haven't seen her," said Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett. He said the last time he saw the candidate was in May at the state Democratic Convention in Columbia.

Rep. Herb Fallert, D-Ste. Genevieve, said he is surprised Rothman-Serot has not been in his county since it is heavily Democratic.

"I have not heard from her, which is kind of surprising," said Fallert.

"I did not cross her path even in the primary ... I'm sure she's busy.

Joe Garcia, an aide to Rothman-Serot, said he did not know whether the candidate had campaigned in the 8th District. He said that he had joined the staff after the primary. "I'm really not sure .. I'm pretty sure she has," said Garcia.

Republican Sen. Christopher Bond, who is seeking re-election to a second term, has been sharply critical of his Democratic challenger, suggesting that she has stayed close to home in St. Louis and is trying to raise out-of-state funds to wage a media campaign.

Garcia said Bond's allegations are "just totally not true. She has campaigned around the state. We did a bus tour last weekend and have another one planned. We plan to do a lot more of that in the weeks left."

Last weekend the bus tour went from St. Louis to Kansas City, stopping at various cities along the way. A north-south tour is planned soon.

Garcia said the candidate will be in Cape Girardeau Friday as part of a fly-around with the Democratic state ticket.

"We plan on taking our message all over the state. We think it is a message all voters in the state will be responsive to," said Garcia, adding that Bond is just trying to keep the focus off his own record.

Bond has called on Rothman-Serot to travel to every county in the state sharing her views on vital issues. Bond contended that Rothman-Serot is too liberal for most Missourians and trying to hide her views on issues from voters.

"At a minimum, a candidate for the Senate should visit the people she wants to represent and tell us specifically where she stands on the issues," said Bond in a letter to newspaper editors. "Frankly, right now my opponent rarely leaves St. Louis and communicates with voters through 30 seconds on television. That should not be good enough."

Several Bootheel Democratic leaders suggested Bond's assessment might be accurate. Party leaders in other outstate areas have also noted Rothman-Serot's lack in presence.

State Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Poplar Bluff, said he has seen no evidence of the candidate.

"She won the primary without having to come to Southeast Missouri, so I don't know if it is a problem or not," said Driskill. For that matter, Judi Moriarity (Pettis County clerk who is the Democratic nominee for secretary of state) has not been here.

Said Driskill: "I'm not going to criticize her for her campaign techniques, but one would think she would want to be familiar with Democrats in all parts of the state. I would hope she would get to Southeast Missouri, and trust that she will."

On the other hand, Driskill said the only thing he has seen from Bond are TV commercials.

Thomason said to some degree her absence from Southeast Missouri concerns him. "But I guess between now and November she'll get down to the Bootheel quite a bit. I certainly hope so."

Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston, said that while he has not seen Rothman-Serot in his area, he is unsure how well she will do against Bond.

"I don't know that she wouldn't do as well not coming here as coming," said Ziegenhorn. "I don't know what her reasoning is for not coming here."

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, said he saw her briefly at the Missouri State Fair in August, but has not seen her anywhere in this part of the state.

Howard said he is a bit concerned by Rothman-Serot's absences from Southeast Missouri. "I don't know what her strategy is," said Howard.

"I had hoped we would get an opportunity to discuss some agricultural issues with her. I feel she needs to have some kind of statement on agriculture for Southeast Missouri's benefit because it is a vital part of Missouri's economy."

Cape Girardeau County Democratic Chairman Rick Althaus, like the others, said he has had no contact from the campaign. He guessed that Rothman-Serot is trying to develop a strong central office organization to help her make good use of volunteers around the state.

"I would assume that what she is trying to do is work on developing her organization. That would make sense because she ran a shoestring campaign in the primary," said Althaus.

He said that as soon as possible Rothman-Serot needs to get out around the state so that voters can get to know her.

State Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence, said he has not seen the candidate anywhere in his present district. Staples noted that she was at the Jefferson County Democrat Days and he saw her there.

"I'm not going to say she hasn't been in my district, but I haven't seen her," said Staples.

The senator said Rothman-Serot needs to get out among the people. "Any candidate - Democrat or Republican - that isn't out meeting the people is not hungry enough to hold the office," Staples said.