Two more considering 158th District bid; another bows out

A potential candidate for Nathan Cooper's vacated Missouri House seat has withdrawn, while two others, including Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson, said they are considering a bid.

The new candidates bring to four the number who have said they are looking at the race.

Victor Gunn, Cooper's campaign treasurer, said Saturday that on Aug. 10 he told District 158 Republican committee chairwoman Holly Lintner he would not be a candidate. Immediately after Cooper pleaded guilty to two federal felonies, Gunn said he was considering a bid.

Lintner said last week she hasn't heard from any candidate who definitely wants the job.

Knudtson, who is in his second term as mayor, said he's been approached by several people asking him to run. City offices are nonpartisan, but Knudtson said he is a Republican. "At this time, I am doing a little soul searching," Knudtson said.

Republican Pete Frazier, who lost to Cooper in the 2004 GOP primary for the seat, is also considering whether to run.

The other new candidate thinking about a race is Cape Girardeau lawyer Matt Hill, who ran against Cooper in 2006 as a Democrat. He has campaign signs and some money in his account, he said, "so I haven't ruled it out."

Former postmaster Mike Keefe has also said he's thinking about running as a Democrat.

Party committees for the Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians are eligible to nominate candidates. The nominations must wait until Gov. Matt Blunt calls a special election.

-- Rudi Keller