Brentwood Candidates' Voting Records: From Spotless to Spotty

Ward 4 aldermanic candidate Patrick Toohey last voted in a municipal election in 1999. Since then, Lorraine Krewson, also a Ward 4 candidate, voted in ten municipal elections.

Among the seven Brentwood aldermanic candidates, Krewson gets the gold star for being a regular voter in municipal elections. She registered to vote in 1960, and since 1999, has missed only two municipal elections; in 2001 and ’03.

Toohey registered in 1994, and since then, in municipal elections, voted only in 1999.

Neither Krewson or Toohey returned messages Patch left for a comment.

Gary S. Bierman, also a Ward 4 candidate, registered in 2007, and voted in the 2010 and '11 elections. He said he was a Brentwood alderman in the 1980s, then lived in the city of St. Louis, and then moved back into his condo in 2007. That was the extent of his comment.

Ward 1 candidates Maureen Saunders and Jim Bischoff didn’t miss a municipal election from 2001 to ’05, then were spotty.

Bischoff registered in 1990, and since 1999, has voted nine times, missing in 2006, ’08 and ‘10.

“People have lives, and children to run around, and jobs and things like that to juggle as well,” Bischoff said.

“Everybody still has a voice, and a right to have a voice, even though they didn’t vote,” he said.

Since 2005, Saunders missed '06, voted in ’08, and the records show she hasn’t voted in a municipal election since then.

She has experience with the St. Louis County Board of Elections through her job, and said the records aren’t always accurate.

“I try to vote at every election,” she said, “I could have missed because of health concerns, but other than that, I vote regularly. (If the record states I haven't voted) since 2007, that would make me believe there’s an error in the records.”

Saunders later e-mailed this statement to Patch:

"...During the past year I learned we must be persistent in our government participation not only by voting but by asking questions, attending meetings and making our voice heard concerning the future of our nation, state and city."

Cindy Manestar is running unopposed in Ward 2. Her record shows she voted 2001 through ’05, then not until 2011. Her comment was similar to Saunders’.

“That surprises me,” she said. “You’re talking a 6-year span. I can’t imagine that I didn’t vote. Usually I’m pretty diligent about that.”

Cindy’s husband, Jeff Manestar pointed out that many past municipal elections have been uncontested.

“There was never anything to vote for or against,” he said. “I think Leahy and Robertson are in different years. I can’t remember anybody running against them.

“The only election I can think of that we had anybody running, was mayoral. Pat (Kelly) was running against (Kathryn) Jepsen*, that might be the only election I can think of,” he said.

Andy Leahy is running unopposed in Ward 3. He registered to vote in 1972, and since 2003 hasn’t missed a municipal election. He couldn't be reached for comment.

*An earlier version referred to Jackson, which was a mistake. It has been corrected to (Kathryn) Jepsen. The editor takes responsibilty for the error.