Gov. Blunt picks date for special election

Party leaders seem content with Gov. Matt Blunt's decision to put off until Feb. 5 a special election for Cape Girardeau's seat in the Missouri House.

Blunt announced the election date late Friday. In an e-mail response to a telephone message, spokeswoman Jessica Robinson pointed out that Feb. 5 is the next date when voters across the state will be going to the polls. The special election in Cape Girardeau and two other vacant districts will coincide with the presidential primary election.

The 158th District Missouri House seat became vacant Aug. 14 when Nathan Cooper, a Republican, resigned after pleading guilty to two federal felony counts for immigration fraud. The district includes most of the area within Cape Girardeau city limits.

Party response

Brenda Woemmel, chairwoman of the Cape Girardeau County Democratic Central Committee, lamented that the election date means Cape Gir-ardeau won't have a representative in office during the first month of the legislative session that begins in January. "On the other hand, if we are having an election, that will save money by having it on a day that there will be an election."

Holly Lintner, chairwoman of the Republican 158th District Legislative Committee, which will nominate the GOP candidate for the special election, said she doesn't have a preference for an election date. "From an economic standpoint, it is going to be a cost saver to have it with the presidential primary."

In addition to the election in Cape Girardeau, Blunt called for special elections in the 16th District Missouri House seat in St. Charles County and the 65th District Missouri House seat in St. Louis.

Blunt could have set the election for any date he chose, with the only restriction that it be at least 10 weeks from the time it was set. The cost of the election is paid by the state.

Missouri lawmakers are in special session this week. They return to Jefferson City for their regular session in early January.

Planning an election

With the selection of the date, Lintner, her Democratic counterpart Sam Unnerstall and the Libertarian Party have two weeks to set meeting dates for the party committees to nominate candidates for the special election. The candidates do not have to be chosen in that time frame; Missouri law mandates only that the candidates submit declarations of candidacy to the secretary of state's office by Nov. 15. Candidates wishing to run as independents or on another party's banner must submit petitions with signatures from 239 registered voters by Nov. 15 as well to appear on the ballot.

So far two Democrats, former postmaster Mike Keefe and 2006 candidate Matt Hill, a lawyer, have expressed interest in running for the post. On the Republican side, Eugene "Pete" Frazier, an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP nomination in 2004, and Mayor Jay Knudtson have said they are considering the race.

Anyone seeking the GOP nomination will have to be viewed as scrupulously honest, Lintner said. "Integrity will be the biggest issue," Lintner said.

For the Democrats, maturity and responsibility will be important qualities, Woemmel said. "We need someone who we feel their primary interest is going to be the good of the people they represent and not their own self-interest."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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