Most election eyes are peeled on the Aug. 2 primary and its contentious races for U.S. Senate, St. Louis County executive and the 1st Congressional District.
But while that storm swirls, two St. Louis aldermen —ÌýJack CoatarÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýMegan Ellyia GreenÌý—Ìýare busy passing their campaign hats to become president of the Board of Alderman.
Those two candidates will run on Sept. 13 to fill the seat vacated by Lewis Reed, the longtime aldermanic president who resigned last month after pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges.
According to the state campaign reports filed July 15,ÌýÌý$61,225 in the last quarter andÌýÌý$43,670. When taking into account cash already on hand, Coatar has a substantial lead in overall bank, $143,400 to Green’s $55,876.
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The reports show that Coatar’s contributors (fewer givers, bigger checks), include a number of real estate, development and hospitality companies who ponied up substantial contributions of $2,500-$2,600 each.
At least four limited liability companies — Vinson One, Vinson One MM, SoHo ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and Olympus Exp — managed to each scrape up $2,500 to contribute to Coater during the reporting period.
All four LLCs have ties to brothers Victor Alston and Sid Chakraverty, whose Lux Living has been one of the city’s most activeÌý— and controversialÌý—Ìýdevelopers in recent years.
The address for SoHo and Olympus is one used by other Chakraverty businesses; Alston signed state business records as the manager of Vinson One and Vinson One MM.
A fifth company, Big Sur Construction, also gave $2,500. It lists its address as 1330 Dolman Street, the same address as the Bordeaux, a Lux Living development in Lafayette Square.
Lux Living was the subject of a story in April by Post-Dispatch reporters Jacob Barker and Steph Kukuljan, who reported that the company had runÌýÌýon one of their projects.
The story also reported that St. Louis officialsÌýinstituted a new policy clawing back tax breaks after they sold two of their tax-abated complexesÌýfor windfalls.
Also, Jeff Tegethoff, owner of Tegethoff Development, and his wife,ÌýAnna Tegethoff, each gave $2,600.
A few other names of interest popped out of Coatar’s report as well:
The political action committee of former MayorÌýLyda KrewsonÌýcontributed $2,600; andÌýBob Blitz, a lawyer in the city’s relocation lawsuit againstÌýStan KroenkeÌýand the Rams, and his wife,ÌýJanet Blitz, each gave Coatar $2,600.
Green’s green (more donors, smaller amounts) included several elected officials and political operatives from both St. Louis city and county.
´¡±ô»å±ð°ù³¾²¹²ÔÌýAnne Schweitzer, D-13th Ward, gaveÌý a total of $500. Schweitzer works for Public Eye, a public relations firm headed byÌýRichard Callow, who also kicked in $800.
Other elected officials going Green were St. Louis Collector of RevenueÌýGregory F.X. DalyÌýand two County Council members,ÌýLisa ClancyÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýKelli Dunaway. All three gave $100 each.
Also,ÌýScott Intagliata, former chief of staff for St. Louis Mayor Freeman R. Bosley Jr., gave a total of $2,250.
The city election board said Wednesday a third candidate, Mark Kummer, has gathered enough signatures to be listed on the ballot along with Coatar and Green. Kummer had no campaign report on file with the state.Ìý
Updated at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 20.ÌýÌý