Update: This article released figures Tuesday night when the election board said that all precincts were reporting, but those were just the absentee numbers. Read on for the updated totals.
Voters went to the polls Tuesday in a long-delayed election that saw heavy turnout in Sunset Hills for a highly anticipated mayoral race, along with Crestwood voters looking to decide on a sales-tax extension. Smaller crowds cast ballots in school board elections for the Mehlville, Affton and Hancock school districts. The election was originally set to happen in April, but Gov. Mike Parson postponed it to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of the delay at the polls, residents of Sunset Hills have had months of anticipation for a mayoral race in which resident John Stephens is challenging incumbent Mayor Pat Fribis. In both the Mehlville and Affton school districts, five candidates are seeking three seats on the board — in Mehlville, two incumbents, three newcomers. Seven candidates are running for four open seats on the Hancock Board of Education. Aldermanic races in Sunset Hills and a rare three-way race in Green Park have people talking. Crestwood voters could extend a key capital-improvement sales tax for the city.
The Lindbergh and Bayless school boards will not hold elections this summer since three people filed for three open seats in both districts, all incumbents.
Read on for full election results for these races.
Sunset Hills Mayor
Pat Fribis vs. John Stephens
Winner: Pat Fribis
With all Sunset Hills precincts reporting, Fribis won the race 55.82 percent to Stephens’ 44.18 percent, 1,117 votes to 884.
Fribis was leading in the earlier absentee results 59.63 percent to 40.37 percent, earning 489 votes to Stephens’ 331.
Fribis posted on Facebook Tuesday morning, “As the sun came up a little brighter today we look to the future of Sunset Hills. I want to thank all my workers, supporters and my loyal friends from the bottom of my heart. I promise I will continue to work diligently for the betterment of Sunset Hills. We cannot always agree on everything but my goal is and has always been to look at the big picture and do what is best for the entire city.”
Mehlville Board of Education
Peggy Hassler, Stacey Kenner, Jean Pretto, Richard Vagen, Jeff Wolman
Winners: Hassler, Pretto, Wolman
Hassler was the top vote-getter, as she was when she first ran in 2017, with 28.17 percent of the vote in a five-way race, or 4,878 total votes. Pretto was elected with 24.13 percent of the vote or 4,179 votes, and Wolman was elected to the board for the first time with a third-place finish at 18.13 percent or 3,139 votes. Kenner followed with 16.24 percent of the vote and 2,812 votes, then Vagen with 13.33 percent and 2,308 total votes.
In all, 17,316 votes were cast in the race.
Hassler led the pack in the Mehlville race in absentee ballots with 27.87 percent of the vote, or 2,891 votes. Pretto followed with 24.3 percent, and 2,520 votes. Wolman had 17.03 percent of the vote in absentee or 1,766 total votes, followed closely by Kenner with 16.67 percent or 1,729 and Vagen with 14.13 percent or 1,466 votes.
Pretto wrote on Facebook, “Thank you all for granting me the opportunity to serve our district for three more years! And congratulations to Peggy Krehbiel Hassler and Jeff Wolman! The district is in good hands!”
Affton Board of Education
Rachel Ayres, Justin Carney, Lara Leonberger, Bridget Sinamon, Patricia Zahn
Winners: Zahn, Carney, Sinamon
In this race, five candidates are running for three seats. With all Affton precincts reporting, current board President Zahn led all voting with 24.46 percent of the vote, with 1,311 votes, followed by Carney with 1,206 votes and 22.5 percent of the vote. The third seat up for grabs went to Sinamon with 19.78 percent of the vote, followed by Ayres with 17.5 percent of the vote and 938 votes and then Leonberger with 15.75 percent and 844 votes.
With just the absentee votes in, current board President Zahn led all voting with 25.44 percent of the vote, with 745 votes, followed by Carney with 683 votes and 23.32 percent of the vote. Neck and neck for third place are Sinamon with 17.58 percent of the vote, followed by Leonberger with 17.31 percent and Ayres with 16.35 percent.
Hancock Board of Education
Winners: Parshall, Kuykendall, Stratman
Seven candidates are running for four seats: Coverage
Mya Schnabel filed for the remainder of an unfinished term and won that seat unopposed.
For the three three-year terms, incumbents Jean Parshall and Debbie Kuykendall are seeking re-election, along with Garrett Mees, Rhonda Stratman, Cathryne Reid and Amy Marsala.
In unofficial results with all precincts reporting, Parshall won with 23.32 percent of the vote and 156 votes, Kuykendall won with 18.24 percent of the vote with 122 votes, followed by Stratman in third place gaining the third seat with 16.89 percent of the vote and 113 votes. Marsala placed fourth with 15.1 percent and 101 votes, followed by Reid with 89 votes for 13.3 percent and Mees with 13.15 percent or 88 votes. A total of 669 votes were cast.
In absentee balloting, Parshall won with 23.01 percent of the vote at 78 votes, Kuykendall won with 17.11 percent of the vote with 58 votes, followed by Stratman with 15.63 percent of the vote or 53 votes for the final seat available, then Mees at 15.34 percent or 52 votes, and Reid and Marsala with roughly 14 percent.
Crestwood Capital Improvement Sales Tax
Approved
Yes: 85.66%
No: 14.34%
The sales tax was extended with 85 percent of the vote with all Crestwood precincts tallied. In total, 85.66 percent and 1,559 voters said “yes,” while 14.34 percent and 261 voters said “no.”
In absentee ballots, 809 voters, or 89.89 percent of the vote, voted “yes,” while 91 voters, or 10.11 percent of the vote, voted no.
Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen
Ward 3
Winner: Cathy Friedmann
Cathy Friedmann defeated incumbent Alderman Kurt Krueger. With all of Ward 3 reporting, Friedmann won 57.2 percent to 42.8 percent, with 310 votes to 232.
In absentee results, Friedmann won 60.39 percent to 39.61 percent. Friedmann earned 125 votes, while Krueger received 82.
Ward 4
Winner: Thompson Price
Incumbent Alderman Thompson Price defeated Drew Hrach in a landslide.
Price won 74.89 percent to 25.11 percent over challenger Hrach, 340 votes to 114. In absentee ballots, Price led 154 votes to 60 votes.
Green Park Board of Aldermen
Ward 2
James Jones vs. Donald Lattray vs. Ronald Slattery (read more)
Winner: Ronald Slattery
Slattery won with 55.12 percent of the vote and 70 votes compared to Jones’ 32.28 percent and 41 votes. Lattray received 16 votes for 12.6 percent.
With just absentees counted, Slattery won election with 50 percent of the vote and 22 votes. Incumbent Jones follows with 38.64 percent of the vote or 17 votes, and Lattray has 11.36 percent of the vote for 11 total votes.
Bella Villa Board of Aldermen
Ward 1:
Deborah Baker vs. Alice Faye Lotspeich
Lotspeich won with 92 percent of the votes, or 23 total votes to Baker’s 8 percent and two votes.
