St. Louis mayor's aide to lead Missouri Democratic Party

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The state Democratic Party picked a staffer in St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's office as its new executive director Saturday.

Ken Franklin, Slay's deputy legislative director, will replace Corey Dillon, who had led the party since August 2004. Dillon stepped down in February to work for her old boss, Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Before joining Slay's staff in May 2005, Franklin ran former Gov. Bob Holden's St. Louis office. Previously, Franklin worked on Slay's successful 2005 re-election campaign, Sen. Jean Carnahan's unsuccessful 2002 campaign and Freeman Bosley Jr.'s unsuccessful 2001 campaign for St. Louis mayor.

He also worked at the Missouri Democratic Party from 2001 to 2002 as the director of voter outreach.

Party Chairman John Temporiti said Franklin's integrity made him the ideal choice as the party seeks to put Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon in the governor's office next year and regain control of the state's House and Senate.

He said the goals "aren't just possible; they are probable, in light of the momentum and the resources and the connectivity we have with the majority of Missourians."

Temporiti selected Franklin from a pool of candidates that initially numbered 32. The party's executive committee approved his selection at its quarterly state party meeting Saturday in Jefferson City.

Franklin, a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., lives with his wife and one-year-old daughter in St. Louis.

He starts work the week of May 14.

Temporiti said Franklin would not talk to the media while he is still on the public payroll in the mayor's office.

Franklin's appointment didn't raise concerns for his political adversaries.

"As far as we're concerned, it doesn't matter who the executive director of the Democratic Party is simply because they don't have any ideas," said Missouri Republican Party spokesman Paul Sloca.