Trading places - State reps could play role in Senate control

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While term limits will ensure scores of new faces in the General Assembly next year, the Senate freshman class of 2003 could be dominated by veteran lawmakers.

By the time candidate filing for the Aug. 6 party primaries ended Tuesday, 25 sitting state representatives, most term limited in the House, finalized plans to run for the upper chamber.

Of the 17 Senate seats on the ballot this year, 14 are being sought by at least one House member.

The presence of so many experienced legislators with proven records of getting elected looks to add an interesting twist to the battle for party control of the state Senate.

Battling for control

Republicans currently hold a narrow 18-16 Senate majority. Democrats need to pick up two seats to pass legislation on party-line votes but only one to gain control.

In the event of a 17-17 tie, Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell, a Democrat, would hand leadership to his party in his capacity as Senate president.

Democrats like their chances of reclaiming the Senate, which they dominated for 53 years until losing it following special elections in January 2001.

"We know Democrats are going to take back control of the Senate this year," said Nancy Tully, a state party spokesperson.

"The best candidates will win."

Republicans, naturally, view the situation differently.

"If you look at the candidate recruitment efforts, we far outstrip Democrats in the quality of candidates in winnable races," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau.

Kinder has already been busy raising money to help elect GOP hopefuls. After the primaries, he plans to pound the campaign trail to help his party retain and build its Senate majority.

Because of term limits, which cap individual service at eight years per chamber, there will be 12 open seats up for grabs, seven now held by Republicans and five by Democrats.

Tallying the 17 mid-term senators and the five races that will be decided in primaries, Democrats are assured 12 seats and Republicans 10 heading into the Nov. 5 general election.

Of the four Democratic and eight GOP districts left in play, only three feature incumbents -- two Republicans and a Democrat. Because of the large number of open seats, neither party is expected to put a major focus on unseating incumbents.

At least one state representative looks to be on the general election ballot in all nine remaining open races.

Shoe-ins sought

Republicans look to be in a solid position to pick up a seat in St. Charles County, while few GOP seats appear to be as vulnerable to a Democratic claim.

However, Democrats have strong candidates running for at least three GOP spots -- in Jefferson City, St. Louis County and Springfield. Meanwhile, Republicans have a decent shot at a Democratic seat in St. Joseph.

Southeast Missouri voters will watch the Senate fight from the sidelines. Kinder and state Sen. Bill Foster, R-Poplar Bluff, are midway through four-year terms. Thanks to quirk of the recent legislative redistricting process, a third area district will temporarily go without local representation.

3rd District on the move

Because of population shifts, the St. Louis area lost a Senate seat to booming Springfield. However, instead of directly moving that district to Springfield, the judges that drew the new boundaries played a numbers game.

The 3rd District, which won't have a Senate election until 2004, moves to Southeast Missouri, taking most of the territory of the current 20th District, which is represented by state Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence.

The 20th District moves to Springfield for the upcoming election.

House Speaker Jim Kreider, D-Nixa, is running in the new district.

"The good news for the speaker is he gets a district to run in this year," Kinder said. "The bad news is, it's 60 percent Republican."

However, Kreider has a proven record of getting elected in a heavily Republican House district.

In addition to the GOP tilt, history isn't on Kreider side. A sitting House speaker hasn't been elected to the Senate in at least a century, if ever.

mpowers@semissourian.com

(573) 635-4608