When it comes to an election, it can be hard to set aside time to research all of the candidates to see which one is the best choice. Furthermore, it can get tiring to see the same demographic running for office every season.
The time for female empowerment is now, as many breakthrough movements have been taking place over the last few years. Now is the time to light a fire and inspire girls and women everywhere. In celebration of the diversity we’re seeing in next month’s St. Louis City primary election, we have compiled a list of all of the female candidates running on March 5.
The history of aldermen began in 1809, when five aldermen were selected to be a governing body, even before having a mayor. As years went by, more people came to St. Louis, and things were rapidly changing. Eventually, the Charter of 1914 was created, giving St. Louis the 28 wards it has today. Of course, for many years, the board of aldermen was made up of men only. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, the first woman to hold local office was in Argonia, Kansas, in 1887.
After that, there were many milestones that women made in advancing equality in politics. As for right now, there are 13 women holding office on the board of aldermen, and 17 women running in the election.
Before proceeding, click here to figure out which ward you’re in.
Writer’s Note: Some of the candidates have little to no information available about their platform.
Running for President of the Board of Aldermen
Jamilah Nasheed (D)
Jamilah Nasheed has served in the House of Representatives and is coming to the end of her second term in the Senate. She passed a bill ensuring that students in unaccredited schools had access to benefits from the A+ Program. She is also active with the Fresh Start Program, helping young adults ages 17 to 21 go back to finish their high school education. Her platform includes urban development and ensuring that St. Louis can help provide basic necessities for vulnerable individuals, including the homeless.
Megan Ellyia Green (D)
Currently the alderwoman for the 15th ward, Megan Ellyia Green has served in leadership positions in various early childhood education nonprofits, including Lemay Child and Family Center and Child Care Aware of Missouri. She is a supporter of the $15 minimum wage, civilian oversight of the police department and Black Lives Matter. She was a surrogate for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign, and wants to “ensure that the needs of St. Louis are heard at both the state and national levels.” She also works with the Continuum of Care program to help prevent and end homelessness in St. Louis.
Running for Individual Wards
Lisa Middlebrook (D) Ward 2
Lisa Middlebrook was a supporter of Proposition P, a tax increase to bring more of a police presence to St. Louis, particularly because she wants the seniors in her area to feel safe. She has been the Ward 2 Alderwoman since 2017, when she replaced Dionne Flowers. Before she was elected, she worked for a home healthcare agency.
Christine Ingrassia (D) Ward 6
Christine Ingrassia is a heavy proponent for keeping an eye on crime; so much so that some people in the neighborhood think she has taken it too far.
Additionally, Ingrassia is a supporter of the St. Louis Missouri Police Department’s real-time intelligence center, which watches citizens of St. Louis on cameras found on numerous street corners.
Despite these things, she claims to be a proponent for “education, community engagement and economic development.”
Writer’s note: In 2014, a 911 caller – which a civil lawsuit identifies as Ingrassia – reported suspicious activity, saying she thought there was a drug deal that had just happened between two cars. The caller began following one of the cars, alarming the driver, who then sped through a school zone and struck a tree, killing a 15-year-old pregnant girl in the backseat. The lawsuit was filed by the victim’s father.
Debra Carnahan (D) Ward 6
Debra Carnahan was a supporter of Hillary Clinton during her campaign for the 2016 election. She has done a lot of traveling (as noted on her Twitter account). On March 24, 2015, she visited a Syrian refugee camp on the Turkish/Syrian border, where she visited with young girls. She is a former judge and federal prosecutor, and is also the wife of former U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan.
Annie Lee Rice (D) Ward 8
Annie Lee Rice is running for her second term, after being first elected in February 2018. She is an immigration attorney and a board member for the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project. Her law practice focuses on immigration, civil rights and international human rights law. She aims to be inclusive and hear all voices. She is also a proponent for “smart public safety and equitable opportunities for all.”
Cassandra L. DeClue (D) Ward 12
Cassandra L. DeClue is an alumna of the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a degree in communications and psychology. Her campaign site is a Facebook page. It states that she “has had local and overseas experience working with diverse communities, and has seen how economic inequality and limited access to quality education undermines democratic principles based on social justice.” However, it does not mention any specifics. She purchased a home in the 12th ward in 2016, and has been engaged with the community in various ways, but again, there is a lack of specific references on her page.
Writer’s note: DeClue mentions all of her experiences in very vague terms, leaving the reader with little solid information. There is no image on her campaign page.
Carol J. Howard (D) Ward 14
Carol J. Howard has served as the alderwoman for the 14th ward for nine years. No other information is known.
Writer’s note: Howard has not played a large role in media promotion; therefore there is a severe lack of information on her. She also does not have a campaign website, which makes finding information about her practically impossible. This puts her at a disadvantage, because her policies are not available for everyone to see.
Judith Arnold (D) Ward 18
Judith Arnold has a campaign website, and she is also active on Facebook. In her concern to reduce crime and make the ward safer, Arnold wants to increase police presence through patrols and cameras. Another issue highlighted on her campaign site includes reducing property tax for elderly residents. She also wants to begin property improvements to make the ward safer and more appealing to potential residents, and states on her website she aims to “enhance support services for children and youth, and unite neighborhoods in the 18th ward.”
Cara Spencer (D) Ward 20
Cara Spencer is the current alderwoman of the 20th ward, and runs her campaign through her website. Issues that concern her include economic development, public safety and civic engagement. On her website, a graph demonstrates a drastic increase in building permits since she took office in 2015. She also cites specific renovation projects. Using official records from the police department, her graphs demonstrate that overall crime is down 17 percent, and person crimes are down more than 31 percent. Spencer also claims to be working to build trust between the community and the police department.
Satia (Sunni) R. Hutton (D) Ward 20
Satia (Sunni) R. Hutton is a progressive democrat who grew up in Benton Park West, where she experienced poor housing conditions. As a result of this, she has made her primary focus keeping the streets clean and making her community more safe. She has a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and has a master’s degree from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She has previously taught elementary education but now focuses on her campaign.
Tonya Finley McCaw (D) Ward 22
Finley runs her campaign through Facebook. Her campaign motto is “Bringing change and hope to ‘the new 22.'” Issues that are important to her include “community engagement and development, crime and safety, health, affordable housing, education and senior citizens.”
Loraine (Lorie) Cavin (D) Ward 24
Loraine (Lorie) Cavin has studied for an associates in applied science and as a paralegal “including civil mediation intensive at St. Louis University law school.” She first became interested in the position when alderman Tom Bauer was in office. She became frustrated and thought that he was not listening to his community. She organized a recall to remove him from the position, and it was successful. She volunteered in both of President Barack Obama’s elections and was invited to meet him. She also did work for Organizing for Action. Find out more about her on her website.
Teresa (Teri) Powers (D) Ward 24
Teresa (Teri) Powers has an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a cognate minor in early childhood. She also has a master’s degree in social work. After performing psychotherapy on people from various backgrounds “informed her politics and advocacy work.” She is on the advocacy board of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), is a member of Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, and the Missouri Progressive Action Group.
Leata C. Price-Land (D) Ward 26
According to her campaign flyer, Leata C. Price-Land intends to “bring jobs and economic opportunity to the area, fight for increased services and better police protection.” See her Facebook page.
Heather B. Navarro (D) Ward 28
Heather B. Navarro practices civil rights and education law, and has a bachelor’s in environmental studies. She studied law at Washington University, and speaks fluent Spanish. She is executive director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
According to the staff page on the MCE website, before working for the company, “she spent over three years practicing as a civil rights lawyer at a private firm in St. Louis. She was an inaugural fellow of the St. Louis New Leaders Council, and has volunteered and served on the boards of several organizations, including The Green Center, the national council of Pax Christi USA and the Central West End Association.”
