Mayor Slays Competition

Francis Slay

The results are in, and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday's primary election. The incumbent captured 61.57 percent of the vote (or 19,350 votes.) His challengers, Irene Smith and Denise Coleman garnered 31.92 percent and 6.51 percent of the vote, respectively. Slay next faces independent candidate Maida Coleman in the April general election.

In other ballot issues on Tuesday, challenger Antonio French trounced incumbent Ward 21 Alderwoman Bennice Jones-King in a north city race that featured lots of ol'-fashioned mudslinging. Elsewhere, Joe Vaccaro beat out a crowded field to win an open aldermanic seat in south city's Ward 23.

Every other incumbent won his or her election. As I mentioned yesterday, voter turnout was light. Just 32,000 people bothered to cast a vote, or 14 percent of the total electorate. Check out the entire results, here.