Former state Rep. Betty Thompson, D-University City, was among the region’s prominent black Democrats who showed up and spoke up at Thursday night’s downtown fundraiser for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican known for his urban ties.
Former Anheuser-Busch executive Wayman Smith (a former city alderman and former member of the Police Board) drew laughs when he introduced Kinder by calling on the crowd “to greet my good friend, Barack Obama.”
(Perhaps a reference to Friday night’s Obama fund-raising event here.)
“Peter’s always been the kind of guy that we in our community always support…because he’s supported us,” Smith said. “The way this community turns out for you is not an accident.”
Later, Thompson told the packed house at the Party Loft to “wake up, sit up…go out and vote up for Peter Kinder.”
Kinder told the crowd, “I’m trying to be a different kind of member of my party.”
One of the attractions is Kinder’s support for various kinds of school choice, which is favored by Thompson and some of the others at the event. (Thompson had a proposed scholarship program named for her, which would have allowed tax credits for donors to the program to help send children to charter schools. It did NOT become law. )
The fundraiser raised more than $15,000 for his re-election campaign, Kinder said.
He’s expected to face state Rep. Sam Page, D-Creve Coeur.
Among those in attendance: St. Louis lawyer (and a Republican) Jerry Hunter, Ollie Stewart, Richard Dockett and Police Board president Chris Goodson.
Kinder said later that several current African-American legislators — including Rodney Hubbard, Talibdin El-Amin and Ted Hoskins, all D-St. Louis — had been expected, but were delayed because the state House remained in session late Thursday.
St. Louis Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, also a Democrat, was represented by one of his aides, Kinder said.
Betty Thompson