By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
Clayton, MO – Democratic officials in St. Louis County have picked their candidate to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of state Representative Steve Brown.
Stacey Newman will run in the November special election to fill Brown's seat. Brown and former state Senator Jeff Smith resigned last week after pleading guilty to federal obstruction of justice charges.
Newman stepped down from her position as the executive director of Harriet's List, which raises funds for local Democratic women candidates. That previous experience in Jefferson City gives her an advantage over her Republican opponent, she said.
"I've worked on equal pay, I've worked on anti-discrimination in housing and employment. I mean, I've just got a number of areas where I've actually worked on the bills and either lobbied for or against," Newman said. She has also focused on gun control legislation.
Brown beat Newman in the 2008 Democratic primary, and Newman said it's interesting to be running again under the current circumstances.
"The most important goal here is obviously to reassure voters that they still need to trust in their government," she said.
County Republicans do not appear to have selected a candidate.