Sunset Hills will soon have a new Ward 3 alderman after political newcomer Cathy Friedmann defeated incumbent Kurt Krueger in the June 2 municipal election that had been postponed from April.
Friedmann defeated Krueger 310 votes to 232, or 57.2 percent to 42.8 percent, to take the Ward 3 seat. Ward 1 Alderman Ann McMunn and Ward 2 Alderman Casey Wong, whose two-year terms were also up, won re-election unopposed.
Krueger declined to speak with The Call for this article.
Friedmann, an attorney, had never run for public office prior to her run for alderman, but she told The Call that she remained cautiously optimistic throughout the campaign.
“This was my first rodeo. I didn’t really know what to expect or how to gauge things,” Friedmann said. “I have to thank my awesome neighbors who completely supported and encouraged me.”
Despite being new to office, Friedmann has been a staple at Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen meetings in recent years, vocally criticizing a now-scrapped cluster home development near the intersection of Lindbergh Boulevard and Robyn Road, as well as the city’s zoning code update.
“I’m very concerned about the direction that the city might take if we get the zoning code wrong,” said Friedmann, identifying it as one of her top priorities. “Another possible major issue is finances, considering COVID. What that will do to the revenue from sales tax.”
Like other candidates in municipal elections across the state, Friedmann also had to navigate the challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, including the election being delayed from April to June, and social distancing practices preventing face-to-face canvassing.
“I was really fortunate… When I filed I knew how many doors I needed to knock. I was afraid I wasn’t going to get to all of them if I didn’t start early. I started the first weekend in January,” said Friedmann. “I hit it as hard as I could early. Luckily, when the election was postponed and coronavirus hit, there were only 30 to 35 homes that I wasn’t able to get to… A lot of people initially said I was going too early and people wouldn’t remember me, but I think that may have given me a leg up.”
Although she was already in bed by the time election results rolled in, Friedmann said she was overwhelmed by the support given her campaign and the congratulations she received after her victory.
“I just can’t thank my neighbors enough for encouraging me and supporting me,” she said. “I’m just really proud of the way my neighbors rallied around … and had that sort of faith in me. It’s humbling and daunting. I feel like I have to come through for them.”
