POLITICS: KINDER SEEKS SENATE TOP LEADERSHIP POST

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While the Republican Party has its sights on taking control of the Missouri Senate, state Sen. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau is gunning for the chamber's top leadership post.

With Democrats currently holding a 19-17 majority, Republicans need to pick up just two seats to end a more-than-50-year run as the Senate's minority party.

Should the Republicans prevail in the Nov. 7 elections, Kinder hopes his colleagues in the GOP caucus will elect him Senate president pro tem, a position which yields considerable power.

"I have a decent shot -- as good as anyone else," Kinder said.

First elected in 1992, Kinder is unopposed for a third, four-year term, the last he is allowed under term limits. Senators are restricted to two terms under the constitution, but terms won in 1992 or before don't count against the limit.

Kinder, 46, currently holds the post of minority party whip. But the real authority in Senate leadership positions rest with the majority party.

Other Republicans in line for pro tem include Sen. Larry Rohrbach of California, Mo., and Sen. David Klarich of Ballwin, Mo.

Rohrbach, a Moniteau County farmer, served in the House of Representatives from 1982 to 1990, including a stint as minority floor leader, and in the Senate since 1991. Rohrbach, 54, is minority caucus secretary in the Senate.

Klarich, 37, served in the House from 1991 to 1994, the year he was elected to the Senate. He is a St. Louis-area attorney.

"There are others whose names may crop up who want to be part of leadership," Kinder said.

The last Senate president pro tem from Cape Girardeau was Democrat Al Spradling Jr., who served in the Senate from 1953 to 1976. He was pro tem from 1961 to 1964.

Spradling said the pro tem can dictate the flow of legislation, decide which bills will move forward and pick supporters to chair the various committees.

"He controls the Senate," Spradling said.

One of the perks of the post is that on the rare occasions when both the governor and lieutenant governor are out of state, the Senate president pro tem becomes acting governor of Missouri.

"I served as governor for 23 days and enjoyed every minute of it," Spradling said.

Spradling's time in the governor's chair came over various stints in 1961, 1962 and 1964 during the administration of Gov. John Dalton of Kennett, Mo. Dalton would leave Spradling a list of things he wanted done, including pardoning a few people.

Spradling biggest act as acting governor?

"I appointed my wife a notary public," he said.

A more practical aspect of the position is the pro tem can bring tremendous benefits to his home district, Spradling said.

"You can do a whole heck of a lot," Spradling said. "For example, we have Southeast Missouri State University here. You can appoint to the Higher Education Committee people who will be friendly to the university. It is terribly important."

The pro tem also can select as appropriations chairman someone who will look kindly on spending requests from the pro tem's home district.

Spradling said Kinder's 27th District, which covers Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and Scott counties, would reap the benefits were Kinder to win the post.

"It would be a great thing," Spradling said.

However, before Kinder thinks too much about becoming pro tem, his party has to win control of the Senate. Although picking up two seats is achievable, a number of factors could come into play.

Of the 17 seats up for election this year, nine are held by Democrats and eight by Republicans. All the Democratic incumbents are seeking re-election, while three Republicans are not. That means Republicans must defend their open seats but will not have an opportunity to claim any open spots from Democrats.

Four of the nine Democratic incumbents on the ballot face no Republican opposition, leaving five seats for Republicans to target. The state party is focusing its resources on two of those races: Poplar Bluff, Mo., Rep. Bill Foster's challenge of Sen. Jerry T. Howard of Dexter, Mo., and Chilhowee, Mo., Rep. James M. Howerton's quest to unseat Sen. Harold Caskey of Butler, Mo.

But control of the Senate still may not be determined on Election Day.

Four mid-term senators -- three Democrats and one Republican -- are running for higher office. Should they all win, it would leave four vacancies.

Special elections would have to be held to fill the open seats. However, when those elections would be held is an open question that depends on if the departing senators resigned right away.

The quickest a special election can be held is 10 weeks after the vacancy is created, meaning the earliest any vacancy could be filled is late January -- weeks after the 2001 General Assembly begins its session.

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