Ritter, Boardman capture council seats

The 2002 version of the Cape Girardeau City Council will take on a slightly more feminine look after Tuesday's overwhelming election of Evelyn Boardman and Marcia K. Ritter.

The women, who each handily beat their male opponents, will be the first female council members since Mary Wulfers left the council in 1994.

But both said they hope they were elected on merit alone.

"I didn't run because I am a woman," said Boardman, a 21-year downtown businesswoman who now works at a large health care company. "I hope people voted for me because I have something to offer."

In Ward 1, Boardman beat incumbent and real-estate broker Frank Stoffregen 330-127, garnering 72.2 percent of the 457 votes cast.

In Ward 6, Ritter got 698 votes -- or 71.2 percent -- to Walter Wildman's 283 votes.

"I don't think I won because of any female perspective I might bring," Ritter said Tuesday from the Cape Girardeau County Administrative Building. "But I think we bring strengths that are different and round out the council."

Ritter is a retired health care management worker and the wife of Dr. C. John Ritter. She didn't run on any particular platform of issues but said she knows the city needs good leadership for the future.

She said her immediate plans include acclimating herself to the council and hearing the issues from the perspective of city management. She also wants to get feedback from residents of her ward.

Boardman celebrated her victory with friends at a downtown restaurant.

"I'm really humbled by the overwhelming support of my friends and neighbors," Boardman said. "I'm deeply gratified."

Boardman said she never dreamed she would win by such a wide margin.

"I recently moved into this ward," she said. "So I went into a ward where I didn't know anybody and ran against an incumbent. That's courage or stupidity."

Meanwhile, Stoffregen, who stayed at home, acted indifferent about his loss.

"I didn't lose, I won," Stoffregen said from his home. "I don't have to fool with it for four more years."

Stoffregen complained that the job came with a lot of frustration and that the $90 stipend the council gets doesn't cover the cost.

He also said that Boardman deserved to win.

"I really didn't campaign much," he said. "I just decided that I wasn't going to spend any money and if I won, I won, and if I didn't, I didn't. Evelyn had a really good campaign. She worked hard."

Wildman could not be reached for comment.

Cape Girardeau voters had a wide array of reasons for supporting their candidates.

Donald Medley voted for Boardman for Ward 1 because he thinks she'd be a good person for the council.

"She lives in my neighborhood, and I've talked to her," Medley said. "I've talked to other people about her that know her better than I do, and I'm confident she'll do a good job."

In Ward 6, LaDonna Salazar voted for Ritter because she's a woman.

"I thought it might be nice to have a lady on the council," Salazar said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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