More experienced Sam Page deserves re-election

The record of the Republican-dominated Missouri state government is an abysmal one. Regrettably, there has been no effective opposition to their extremist policies and disingenuous governance since the collapse of the once-dominant state Democratic Party. There has been a lack of any effective challenge to this one party rule that has blocked the expressed will of voters. There needs to be a re-imagined Democratic Party that can be viable in this state to slow this state’s decline and rush to the bottom. Most likely any strategy must include maintaining the existing electoral strength of the party in the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City, Jackson County and Columbia and Boone County. 

The upcoming general election in St. Louis County sees a contest between the incumbent Dr. Sam Page and Mark Mantovani. They have faced each other in the past. Both have been opponents in a Democratic primary but not a general election. Mantovani, a businessman, has some commendable attributes and for the record this paper has endorsed him in the past.

However, this time he is running in this general election as a Republican. He was chosen by the County’s Republican Central Committee after the candidate chosen by Republican voters in the primary, Katherine Pinner, dropped out. She resigned as it became apparent that she was too far-out for even far-out Republicans. Desperate for someone they considered more electable, they persuaded Mantovani to run. That means that Mantovani finds himself aligned with a party with no credibility in the Black community, a major component of the county’s electoral base.

Any fair appraisal of the incumbent’s performance has to be seen through the lens of the unwieldy governance structure of St. Louis County. There are 91 municipalities with multiple police departments and fire districts that inhibit efficient and effective governance. 

Page, who was elected to complete the remaining two years of Steve Stenger’s term in 2020, is running for a full four-year term. He has faced a great deal of criticism particularly about his handling of the pandemic. We think he acted responsibly based on the best information he had at the time.

Moreover, Page has shown himself to be earnest, hardworking and a now more experienced chief executive facing the vexing problems of St. Louis County.

Meanwhile, Mantovani has cast his lot with a repugnant Republican party that is rife with far-right elected officials who have brought us drastic anti-choice laws, irresponsible gun laws and a one-dimensional response to crime. Despite Mantovani’s disavowal, his alignment with the Republican Party and some disempowered Democrats whose candidate was soundly rejected in the August primary has instantly made him unacceptable.

Page has been a strong, compassionate leader during very challenging times. He is the Democratic candidate in one of the state’s few strongholds for the party. He deserves re-election.

The St. Louis American endorses Dr. Sam Page.