On April 7, Sunset Hills voters had the chance to elect one alderman from each of the four wards of Sunset Hills. The city will see three newcomers to its aldermanic board in the coming days — Natalie Akins in Ward 1, Mark Schwarz in Ward 2 and Angie Weigel in Ward 3. In Ward 4, there is an even split between experienced candidates Mark Colombo and Cathy Friedmann.
In Ward 1, Akins faced off with former alderman Frank Hardy for the aldermanic seat, which was recently vacated by former alderman Ann McMunn. This is Akins’ first time holding public office. She received 59.85% voter approval, with 161 votes. There were 269 total votes counted in the Ward 1 race.
“I’m truly honored by the trust my neighbors have placed in me,” Akins said. “I’m excited to get to work listening, learning and serving Ward 1 and Sunset Hills.”
In Ward 2, Schwarz faced off incumbent Casey Wong and newcomer Greg Zveitel for the aldermanic seat. This is Schwarz’s first time holding public office. With 39.06% voter approval (166 votes), he narrowly unseated Wong, who received 35.06% voter approval (149 votes). There were 425 total votes counted in the Ward 2 race.
In Ward 3, Weigel and incumbent Kurt Krueger vied for the seat of alderman. This is Weigel’s first time holding public office. She unseated Krueger with 54.66% voter approval (211 votes). There were 386 total votes counted in the Ward 3 race.
“I’m grateful for the trust residents placed in me and honored to serve our community,” Weigel said. “I’m looking forward to listening closely to neighbors, communicating transparently, and ensuring resident voices guide the decisions we make for Sunset Hills.”
In Ward 4, where two experienced candidates vied for the same seat, Colombo and Friedmann tied at 50% with 188 votes each. Colombo is the incumbent, having been appointed to the board in November after former alderman Lindsay Hof moved out of Sunset Hills. Friedmann was the alderman from 2020-2025 in Ward 3, but when she moved to Ward 4, she resigned from that seat and ran for election in her new ward.
According to city administrator Brittany Gillett, the St. Louis County Board of Elections is still waiting for military, overseas and provisional ballots to be counted. If the Ward 4 race is still tied after all ballots are counted, there will likely be a recount. If the results still reflect a tie after the recount, there are three options to proceed in deciding whether Colombo or Friedmann will become Ward 4 alderman.
The first option is concession, in which either Colombo or Friedmann could concede to the other candidate. The second option is, if both candidates agree, the outcome can be determined by a random method, such as a coin toss or drawing of straws. If neither of the first two options are pursued, the city of Sunset Hills will have to hold a special election later in the year.
Friedmann told The Call that she is preparing for a special election. According to Friedmann, Colombo sent an email to Board of Aldermen members and candidates on April 10 that he would be in favor of the second option — a coin toss or drawing — “to save the city a lot of money and all of us time.” Votes are still being counted.
“I am incredibly grateful for the trust my neighbors have shown me and remain fully committed to resident-centered leadership,” Friedmann said. “Sunset Hills residents deserve a leader who actually reads the fine print and respects the democratic process enough to let voters decide our future. Advocating for a coin flip or drawing before all votes are even counted ignores the will of the people, demonstrates a lack of desire to do the hard work of an election and avoids public scrutiny of a past record of failure to read important documents like the rugby lease or parks master plan. I will continue to work for my neighbors’ votes.”
More information will be disseminated as it becomes available. For more information on what South County propositions passed and which candidates were elected, click here.
