Three pick up petitions for Cape Girardeau city elections

Two incumbents and a challenger grabbed the first petitions as the initial step to becoming candidates for Cape Girardeau city government positions Wednesday.

By early afternoon, three petitions had been picked up for the three Cape Girardeau City Council spots and the mayor's position, all up for election April 8.

Picking up petitions early Wednesday, the first day to do so, were Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen, Mayor Harry Rediger and Walter White, who seeks to challenge Rediger.

Harry Rediger

Council seats in wards 1 and 2 are also up for election, but no one has picked up petitions for those seats.

Bowen took office April 8, filling the unexpired term of council member Kathy Swan, now a state representative. Bowen is professor and chairman of the department of history at Southeast Missouri State University, where he also serves as director of university studies. He also writes a column for the Southeast Missourian.

"It has been an honor to serve the residents of Ward 6 over the last six months as a member of the city council," Bowen said in a statement. "At the encouragement of friends and family, I intend to seek re-election to this office in order to keep working on behalf of my district and all the citizens of Cape Girardeau. [Wednesday] morning, I picked up the petitions to make this request official, and expect to turn in the necessary signatures on Oct. 22, the first day of filing."

Wayne Bowen

Bowen said his goals are the same as those that motivated him to run for office the first time -- economic development and continued downtown revitalization through Old Town Cape. He also supports hiring more personnel for the police and fire departments and wants to ensure those departments have the best equipment and training available.

A lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, Bowen has been deployed to Bosnia and Iraq. He is a former member of the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission. He is vice chairman of the Cape Girardeau Republican Committee, a board member of the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club and a member of the 8th District Republican Committee.

White said he is debating whether to run. He has run for mayor three times and lost each time. He also has run for school board and county commission.

Those who pick up nominating petitions must acquire signatures from 50 registered voters in the ward for which they're running, or from the city at large in the mayoral race. Filing runs from Oct. 22 through Nov. 19, and there is no fee.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger announced Monday he will seek a second term.

Ward 1 Councilman John Voss said he is term-limited under the city charter. Ward 2 Councilwoman Meg Davis will not run for re-election because she will be moving out of her ward, she said earlier this week.

A primary election would happen Feb. 4 if more than two people run for the same office.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO