Politics & Government

MO Senate Election Results: Sifton Beats Lembke in 1st District Race

Lembke had defended his seat several times previously.

Democrat Scott Sifton, in a close race, succesfully challenged incumbent Missouri State Sen. Jim Lembke.

Sifton said Lembke had defeated Democrats Joan Barry, Mike Allen, Jeff Wagner and Bob Burns, who ran against Lembke in previous races and won "by a handfull of votes."

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Sifton was at the Genesis Banquet Center in South County Tuesday night to watch the returns with about a hundred supporters. He attributed his win to the makeup of the district changing as lines were redrawn last year.

Missouri's 1st Senate district was redrawn to include some mid-county parts of St. Louis County, including Maplewood, Webster Groves and Rock Hill, as well as the southern Mehlville, Affton and Oakville, tipping it slightly Democratic.

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Sifton also said it helped that voters could evaluate full records of the two candidates.

"Voters have had an opportunity to evaluate his four years on the Senate and my two years in the House and my nine years on the Affton School Board, and I'm grateful it appears they have chosen me," he said.

Lembke was elected in 2008 to the Missouri Senate after having served in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2003.

Sifton, who lives in Affton, has represented a southern part of St. Louis County in the Missouri House since 2010.

Lembke had 144 workers at the polls today. He said he was disapointed.

"I thought it was going to be a very good Republican year," he said. "The people of the first district seem to have gone in a different direction."

He said he'll look into other oppourtunities.

"There is some place else that He (God) wants to use me," he said. "If that's not in elected office, it maybe in the church some where. I'm very interested in education."


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