Kasten wins 158th District

Watch Mary Kasten's speech

Watch Mike Keefe concede

Republicans cheered in relief and adoration for one of their longtime local icons when Mary Kasten announced that Mike Keefe, her Democratic opponent in the special legislative election Tuesday, called to concede defeat.

Kasten received just over 50 percent of the vote in the 158th District race that included most of Cape Girardeau. Keefe took 43.6 percent, while Libertarian Steve Kinder took 6.4 percent of the 8,856 votes cast.

Total turnout in the contest was about 40 percent of the eligible voters.

Mike Keefe, the Democratic candidate for the 158th District, awaited election results with a group of supporters Tuesday. Keefe lost the election to Mary Kasten. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

As she spoke to her supporters, Kasten, 79, thanked them for hard work in a campaign that was necessary because of the August resignation of Nathan Cooper after he pleaded guilty to two federal felony charges.

"Put your right hands back, behind your back, and very gently and lovingly give yourself a pat on the back," Kasten said.

The call from Keefe came at about 9:15 p.m., before all the results were in but late enough in the count for the Democrat to know he could not find the votes to alter the outcome. Keefe won in only five of the 16 precincts; he also lost the absentee vote count.

Kasten will serve the remaining 11 months on Cooper's term. She said after speaking to her supporters that she is undecided about seeking a full two-year term in the fall elections.

The outcome wasn't a surprise, Keefe said after the final results were counted. The Republican leanings of the district -- a Democrat has won only two terms in the district since 1970 -- made the contest an uphill struggle from the beginning, he said.

"I got so many people were happy that I ran, and I was willing to put my name forward and do it professionally," he said. "I gained a lot from knowing I did the best I could. I tried to be the best candidate I can be."

Keefe commended Kasten for running a positive campaign and said he resisted suggestions he campaign as though he were running against Cooper and the misdeeds that cost him the office.

"If you have to win like that, it is not worthwhile," Keefe said.

The outcome was narrower than past elections in the district because of Cooper's disgrace, said Lloyd Smith, the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo. who helped supply the campaign staff that directed Kasten's campaign.

"Coming on the heels of what we faced with the resignation of the sitting state representative, who pleaded guilty to felony charges, it shows that Cape Girardeau is solidly for conservative values," Smith said.

The outcome also was encouraging to Democrats, who have suffered a long string of defeats locally at Republican hands over the past four decades.

"We have got a fantastic candidate," said Brenda Woemmel, Cape Girardeau County Democratic chairwoman. "He has worked from the get-go."

While she said she had discussed the fall race with Keefe, he has made no commitments.

There's time to make that decision later, Keefe said.

"What I am going to do is take a couple of weeks off and go out and see my grandkids again," said Keefe, 61. "When I think about the effort I put and understand how much effort it takes to do this, I thought this was a good opportunity."

The Libertarian in the race, Steve Kinder, had said before the election that he needed to see how he fared before deciding whether to pursue the office again. At 6.3 percent of the vote, he exceeded what Libertarian candidates have done in the past in the district in a three-way race.

"That is definitely encouraging," Kinder said. "I didn't have a single yard sign, paid radio or newspaper ad."

A future race will depend on his ability to put together a campaign that can start to challenge the Democratic and Republican efforts, Kinder said. "That is a big decision, and I wanted to make a showing. At least I touched some people."

In interviews with voters, the longtime presence of Kasten on the area political scene was definitely a plus as she sought to regain office.

At Precinct 2, which voted in Westminster Church at Perryville Road and Cape Rock Drive, voter Owen Dye chose Romney for president and Kasten in the special election.

"I've just known her for so long, and she's done a good job," Dye said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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