This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Sept. 27, 2011 - Democrat Tracy McCreery is continuing her campaign for the 83rd District state House seat, even though she lost her bid for her party's nomination.
McCreery is planning to run as an independent in the Nov. 8 special election to fill the seat vacant since Democrat Jake Zimmerman was elected in April as St. Louis County assessor. The 83rd District takes in parts of Olivette and University City and Overland.
McCreery said Monday that she has filed the appropriate paperwork to be on the ballot. She will challenge Democrat Jeffrey O'Connell, chosen by party leaders last month. Also on the ballot will be Republican Patrick Brennan.
McCreery is the long-time district aide to former state Sen. Joan Bray, D-University City. In her unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for the Democratic-leaning seat, McCreery had been endorsed by the local chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus and by PROMO -- the region's major gay-rights organization.
However, McCreery lost out last month to O'Connell in the balloting of Democratic committeemen and committeewomen in the district. She says she received votes from seven of the 10 committeepeople, but because of "weighted voting'' (which relies on the Democratic voter percentage in each township), O'Connell won the nomination.
O'Connell is a former member of the Overland City Council and currently is the business agent for Laborers Local 42. He also is the Democratic committeeman for Midland Township.
Said McCreery: "I am running because the voters deserve a choice, not a hand-picked candidate chosen behind closed doors. My experience as a businesswoman, working in government and as a community activist gives me the unique ability to speak out and work agains the conservative agenda that exists in Jefferson City right now. I want to begin to repair the damage caused by conservative majorities in both chambers."
