Democratic Power Brokers in St. Louis Join Quest to Stop Kacey Cordes' Campaign

Kacey Cordes and the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners faced off in court this morning, with lawyers for both sides trading arguments over whether the 38-year-old mayoral hopeful deserves a spot on the April 4 general election ballot.

Cordes' barely month-old campaign as an independent mayoral candidate ran aground in February after the Election Board invalidated her candidacy. The board cited her failure to turn in roughly 500 signatures from registered St. Louis voters — a requirement stipulated in the city's election ordinances. In response, Cordes sued the board, arguing that the commissioners had misinterpreted the requirements for independent candidates.

And a third party joined the proceedings in circuit court today: Jane Dueker, an attorney with ample experience in city election squabbles, was granted permission by Circuit Judge Joan Moriarty to intervene in the case on behalf of Democratic National Committee delegate and former St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee chairman Brian Wahby.

That Wahby, a well-known power broker in city politics, would feel the need to weigh in on the case implies that Cordes' candidacy represents more than just a sideline annoyance for local Democrats. As we reported Tuesday, Cordes' lawsuit argues that an independent candidate should be allowed essentially to nominate herself to the general election — without the pesky requirement for signatures — because of a loophole for "independent," as opposed to "non partisan," candidates.

Read more: http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2017/03/10/democratic-power-brokers-join-quest-to-stop-kacey-cordes-campaign