By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Former Presidential candidate Howard Dean was in St. Louis Sunday to stump for three Democrats running for office this year.
The former Vermont Governor created the group Democracy for America after dropping out of the race for President.
He's noted for using the Internet and grassroots efforts to gain supporters, and now wants that network to work for other local candidates named to the so-called Dean's Dozen'.
"These folks' names were sent to me by people from Missouri," Dean said. "People who worked really, really hard. People who are ordinary people who were not involved in politics before our campaign. It seems to me those are exactly the kind of people we need to reconnect to the Democratic Party if the Democratic Party has a future in this country. We've got to listen to people who have been turned off by politics."
Dean is endorsing Nancy Farmer's bid to unseat Missouri U.S. Senator Kit Bond. He also supports Jeff Smith in the race to fill Dick Gephardt's seat in Congress, and state representative candidate Maria Chappelle-Nadal. She's running in the 72nd district, which includes University City.
Dean was also in Chicago this weekend to campaign in Illinois' U.S. Senate race for Democrat Barack Obama.