Ex-police union chief seeks County Council seat
Russ Craven, a retired Hazelwood police officer who used to lead the Missouri Union of Law Enforcement, this week became the first Democrat to file for a St. Charles County Council seat contested in this year’s elections.
Craven, 51, who now is a commercial property manager, hopes to win the 4th District seat held by Republican Paul Wynn of O’Fallon.
True to his police background, Craven said pushing for better salaries for county sheriff’s deputies would be one of his goals if elected. Wynn also has been supportive of higher pay for deputies than the council majority approved in this year’s county budget.
Craven, who lives in an unincorporated area near O’Fallon, is vice-chair of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce.
He said he’d hold off any criticism of Wynn for the time being. Wynn since his election to the council last year has become known for his votes against government spending on social programs.
Wynn, who won a special election to fill an unexpired term, filed for a full four-year term last month. So did two GOP council colleagues, Joe Brazil of the Defiance area and Dan Foust of St. Charles.
Meanwhile, two additional Democrats signed up recently in Jefferson City for GOP-held St. Charles County seats in the Missouri House.
Bill Whitmore of O’Fallon wants the 19th District seat held by Rep. Cynthia Davis of O’Fallon, while David Hurst of Lake Saint Louis filed for Rep. Bob Onder’s 13th District slot. Davis is running for re-election while Onder, of Lake Saint Louis, is going instead for the 9th District Congressional seat.
Two Lake Saint Louis Republicans filed earlier for the Onder seat - Chuck Gatschenberger, who lost to Onder in the 2006 primary, and Kevin Kuhlmann, the Innsbrook city administrator.


A Democrat and a union man … that’ll play real well in St. Charles County.