St. Louis Circuit Attorney election, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primary)
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| 2020 St. Louis elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 31, 2020 & April 20, 2020 (special) |
| Primary election: August 4, 2020 (primary) General election: June 23, 2020 (special) & November 3, 2020 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: board of aldermen, circuit attorney, sheriff, and treasurer |
| Total seats up: 2 |
| Election type: Partisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2020 |
Incumbent Kimberly Gardner defeated Mary Pat Carl in the Democratic primary for circuit attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 4, 2020. Gardner received 61% of the vote to Carl's 39%.
The race was a rematch. Gardner and Carl ran in the four-candidate Democratic primary in 2016, where Gardner received 47% of the vote and Carl was second with 24%.[1]
Gardner said her successes included implementing prosecutor-led diversion, directing resources to public safety and harm reduction, and steering the office away from a tough-on-crime mentality. She said there was a less than 1% recidivism rate under the city's diversion program.[2]
Carl emphasized her background as a homicide attorney and prosecutor. She said she would do more than Gardner had to prevent gun violence and direct people to diversion programs.[3] Carl criticized Gardner's relationship with police, saying, "I think you can hold the police accountable without going to war with the police."[4] Carl said she was highly regarded by law enforcement.
Click here for more on candidates' backgrounds and key messages.
Rachel M. Cohen of The Appeal wrote the following:
| “ |
[L]ocal activists view this race as a referendum on the fierce pushback that Gardner has faced since she took office. The primary, which will most likely decide the election in this Democratic city, may be an early window into whether this sort of pushback will prove successful in other jurisdictions where reform-minded prosecutors soon face re-election.[4][5] |
” |
Gardner indicted former Gov. Eric Greitens (R) in 2018 for allegedly tampering with computer data. In January 2020, she sued the city, the police union, and others, alleging a racially-motivated conspiracy to thwart her policy efforts.[6] In July 2020, Gardner filed felony charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a white couple who held guns in their yard as Black Lives Matter protesters marched by.[7]
The St. Louis Police Officers Association, which endorsed Carl in 2016, did not endorse in the 2020 primary. Jeff Roorda, the union's spokesperson, said, "Kim Gardner has proven herself unfit for public office."[4] The St. Louis American and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) were among Gardner's endorsers. Carl's endorsers included the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Democratic organizations of several wards.
St. Louis also held elections for sheriff and treasurer in 2020. Click here for more information on those elections.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney
Incumbent Kimberly Gardner defeated Daniel Zdrodowski in the general election for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kimberly Gardner (D) | 74.0 | 96,432 |
| Daniel Zdrodowski (R) | 25.7 | 33,509 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 353 | ||
| Total votes: 130,294 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney
Incumbent Kimberly Gardner defeated Mary Pat Carl in the Democratic primary for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kimberly Gardner | 60.9 | 43,878 |
 | Mary Pat Carl | 39.1 | 28,151 | |
| Total votes: 72,029 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney
Daniel Zdrodowski advanced from the Republican primary for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel Zdrodowski | 100.0 | 2,709 | |
| Total votes: 2,709 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[8] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Carl received a B.A. from DePaul University and a J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. She was an assistant circuit attorney for the City of St. Louis. As of her 2020 campaign, she was a partner at Husch Blackwell.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- St. Louis Circuit Attorney (Assumed office: 2017)
- Missouri House of Representatives (2012-2017)
Biography: Gardner received an undergraduate degree from Harris-Stowe State University and a law degree from St. Louis University. She worked for Bell, Kirksey & Associates before serving as an assistant circuit attorney. She returned to St. Louis University for a master's degree in nursing before being elected to the state House.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney in 2020.
Endorsements
Gardner
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)[9]
- The St. Louis American[10]
- SEIU Missouri/Kansas State Council[11]
- Real Justice PAC[12]
Carl
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board
- St. Louis Carpenters Regional Council
- St. Louis Fire Fighters
- St. Louis Young Democrats
- Democratic Organizations in the 10th,11th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, and 28th Wards[13]
About the city
- See also: St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city located in Missouri. It was at one time the county seat of St. Louis County, but voters chose to separate from the county and form an independent city in 1876.[14] As of 2020, its population was 301,578.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of St. Louis uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for St. Louis, Missouri | ||
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | Missouri | |
| Population | 301,578 | 6,154,913 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 61 | 68,746 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 45.7% | 78.3% |
| Black/African American | 43.1% | 11.1% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 2.1% |
| Native American | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Other (single race) | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| Multiple | 5.9% | 6.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 90.5% | 91.6% |
| College graduation rate | 40.2% | 31.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $55,279 | $68,920 |
| Persons below poverty level | 19.8% | 12.6% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| St. Louis, Missouri | Missouri | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ St. Louis, Missouri, "Election Summary Report, Primary Election, St. Louis, Missouri, August 2, 2016," accessed July 27, 2020
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Politically Speaking: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner On Why She Should Stay In Office," July 23, 2020
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Politically Speaking: Mary Pat Carl On Her Rematch With St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Appeal, "St. Louis Prosecutor Faces Voters, After Years of Sustained Fire from Police Union," July 23, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Gardner alleges racist conspiracy in federal civil rights lawsuit against St. Louis, police union," January 14, 2020
- ↑ National Public Radio, "St. Louis Prosecutor Charges White Couple With Threatening Protesters With Guns," July 20, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Twitter, "Bernie Sanders on June 4, 2020," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ The St. Louis American, "Kimberly Gardner for St. Louis circuit attorney," July 27, 2020
- ↑ St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune, "SEIU Missouri/Kansas State Council endorses Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in August primary," June 16, 2020
- ↑ Real Justice PAC, "Kim Gardner," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ Mary Pat Carl's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ St. Louis County Library, "The 1876 St. Louis City / County split and its effect on research," accessed December 18, 2014
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