It is a name out of Missouri's past: Judi Moriarty, now Judi Moriarty-Ebbers. She is Missouri's former secretary of state and the only statewide official ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives and ousted from office after a trial before the Supreme Court.

While serving as Missouri's chief election official, Moriarty-Ebbers was found guilty in Cole County Circuit Court of a misdemeanor charge of backdating her son's filing paperwork for a state House seat. The Missouri House approved three articles of impeachment, and the Missouri Supreme Court voted to oust Moriarty-Ebbers in December 1994.

Moriarty's opponent is former Republican State Rep. Todd Smith, also of Sedalia. Smith, first elected at age 26, was a popular and effective member of the House for a ten-year period ending in 1995.

He has served the last several years as a Pettis County commissioner. He would be a formidable opponent for any candidate, much less for one with Moriarty's baggage.

The race to date is a low-key one, with neither candidate doing much fund raising nor drawing much attention to it. For his part, GOP-er Smith says he doesn't intend to raise the issue of his opponent's past stewardship in office.

One suspects he needn't do so. Some things speak for themselves.