On April 2, St. Louis, Missouri, held partisan elections for Mayor, Comptroller, and 14 Alderman races. The only parties that nominated any candidates for the citywide offices were the Democratic Party and the Green Party. Here are the unofficial returns, although they don’t show party labels. Nevertheless, party labels were on the ballot. The Green citywide nominees were: Mayor James McNeely 15.54%; Comptroller Jerome Bauer 15.00%.
For the fourteen alderman races, the Greens had two nominees and the Republican Party had one. The Green results for Alderman were: Ward 7 alderman David Gordon 23.02%; Ward 9 alderman Susie Parker 16.62%. The only Republican nominee, running in Ward 23, was Robert Crump, who received 13.37%.
The St. Louis Green Party is ballot-qualified and has its own primary. In its March 5 primary, only about 120 voters participated. The St. Louis Green Party is not affiliated with the national Green Party. Jill Stein was not on the ballot in Missouri in November 2012.
IIRC, the St. Louis Green Party has kept access because it met the requirements to remain on the ballot in the city (while not meeting them in the state). Similar to how the Reform Party has remained on the ballot in Jackson County elections.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the access of the St. Louis Green Party may have hindered the desire of Green Party activists to use that name statewide in 2006 (when they used “Progressive Party” instead)
There’s definitely an opening for a non-Democratic party in the cities with partisan elections (which is mainly MD/PA/NY/LA, with openly partisan elections in STL too)
Also Indiana and Connecticut have universally partisan elections for city office. Most states let each city decide for itself whether to have partisan or non-partisan city elections, and the vast majority have chosen non-partisan.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there was friction between the St. Louis Greens and the statewide Green Party. 10 and 15 years ago it was accepted that the St. Louis Greens and a section of the New York State Greens (which now has complete control over what remains of the New York State Greens) were the two centers of resistance to a nationwide merger along the lines of what now exists. Neither side in the dispute was my cup of tea, so I left.
It looks like St. Louis has 28 wards. Any idea why half the seats were uncontested? Are we seeing a nationwide meltdown of democracy in local government?
Does the St. Louis Green Party have a platform/program that actually relates to anything “green” in the original sense of the term?
Aldermen have 4-year terms. Half the seats are up in years that follow presidential elections, and the other half are up in odd years before presidential elections.