Wallingford says he's 'likely' to run for 3rd Senate District

In what basically amounts to a move from maybe to probably, Rep. Wayne Wallingford confirmed Thursday that he has all but decided to run for Missouri's newly drawn 3rd District Senate seat.

The first-term Missouri House Republican from Cape Girardeau used words like "leaning toward" and "likely" when asked to categorize where he stands. He has set a self-imposed deadline of Jan. 16 to make a final decision that -- if yes -- would create a three-way Republican primary in August.

Wallingford, first elected to the current 158th House District in 2010, said he has received a massive amount of encouragement from voters to run for the Senate district that saw its boundaries redrawn in light of redistricting.

'Strong statements'

"I was told by someone that I must run," said Wallingford, 65. "Not that I should, but that I must. A lot of people told me how disappointed they'd be if I didn't run. Those are strong statements that I have taken seriously."

In fact, he said, the only thing that will keep him from running is a determination that the two Republicans who have already declared could serve the new district as well or better than he could.

Former state representative Pat Naeger of Perryville, Mo., and Farmington, Mo., businessman Gary Romine have already said they intend to run for the district that includes Cape Girardeau, Perry, Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois counties.

State Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, who represents the current 27th District, is being forced out by term limits.

Both the 27th and the 3rd districts have been reconfigured by redistricting, done every 10 years based on census data. The Missouri Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider a legal challenge over the new Senate districts, scheduling oral arguments for next week. In the existing 27th, Crowell represents Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and Scott counties.

But the changes for the 3rd will be used for the elections this year and take effect for the purpose of representation in January 2013.

Wallingford intends to meet with Romine today and with Naeger after he returns from a vacation next week.

"I want to see who can serve the people of the 3rd District the best," said Wallingford, an executive for a company that owns local McDonald's franchises.

"If, after I meet them, I don't consider myself the best candidate, I'm not going to run," Wallingford said.

Creating a 'vacuum'

Both Naeger and Romine said they respect Wallingford and they hope they work with Wallingford -- as a member of the House. They both also expressed some confusion about Wallingford taking the risk of moving from an as yet unopposed race for his existing House seat, which is currently the 158th District, but will become the new 147th District next year.

Naeger said it would also create a "leadership vacuum" in the Cape Girardeau seat. "Besides, to say someone can be more effective in the Senate really cuts short the process," said Naeger, who served in the House for eight years. "If he runs for the Senate and loses, he's out altogether. Then he loses any vote he has to implement change. ... I just don't understand it."

Romine said he assumes Wallingford wants to represent a larger constituency. In the Senate, Wallingford would represent four counties instead of basically one city and a few of its outlying areas.

"But I want to convince him that I can effectively serve the district," Romine said, echoing similar comments made by Naeger.

Still, if Wallingford runs, it may create a situation where voters from each community -- Farmington, Cape Girardeau and Perryville -- cast ballots for their local candidate to grab political influence.

Naeger rejected that notion, saying he gives voters more credit than that.

"I would hope voters are not that parochial," he said. "At the end of the day, voters are smart enough to judge candidates and their experience."

The primary will take place Aug. 7. The filing period for Senate races runs from Feb. 28 to March 27.

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