South County Council Member says he Will run for Re-election

Current St. Louis County Council Chairman, Steve Stenger, announced recently his bid for a second term in the November, 2012 election. Stenger, a Democrat from Affton, represents the 6^th District in South County, which is the largest unincorporated area in the county, as well as the “hotbed” of opposition to the county’s controversial trash districting program.

Stenger, an attorney and certified public accountant, was first elected to the council in November of 2008 when he defeated incumbent councilman John Campisi (R-South County), who had served two, four-year terms on the council.

In announcing his bid for re-election, Stenger said that he wasn’t totally ruling out a run for the county’s top job, which is currently held by fellow Democrat, Charlie Dooley. Stenger said his primary focus “in the foreseeable future” is representing the 6^th District. However, when asked about whether he would ever consider running for county executive, he said: “If at some point members of the community came forward and asked me to run for county executive, if that was the situation, I would have to consider it given whatever circumstances there were. That would be something I'd certainly have to consider at that time, and under all the circumstances involved." The next election for county executive will be in November of 2014. Incumbent Charlie Dooley won re-election to a second term in November of 2010.

Even though Stenger’s election to the council increased the Democratic majority to five of seven members, he doesn’t always vote along party lines. Stenger has voted against the trash district program legislation, as well as tax proposals, and he has also challenged the political hiring practices of county assessor Jake Zimmerman and Dooley’s proposal to roll up the county’s property tax rate.