Special elections scheduled for next Tuesday will fill two vacancies in the State Senate and another in the House. The contest in the 22nd District, in northern Jefferson County, is being held to find a successor to Steve Stoll, who stepped down from the Senate to become the City Administrator of Festus. A current and a former member of the House – both from High Ridge – are in the running to replace Steve Stoll in northern Jefferson County. Democratic Representative Rick Johnson says residents think the budget cuts put forward by Governor Matt Blunt and the Legislature go too far. Former Representative Bill Alter, a small businessman, agrees the truly needy should not suffer from cuts in programs and services. He feels a Republican in a Republican-controlled government can best make the case. Two independent candidates are in the race, as well – Harold Selby of Cedar Hill and Zip Rzeppa of Barnhart. Elsewhere in the state, a Senate contest is being held in mid-Missouri and a House seat is up for grabs in Kansas City.
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