To some African-American politicians in the city, Mayor Francis Slay has been radioactive since the ouster of former Fire Chief Sherman George.

But not to State Rep. Rodney Hubbard, who is running for State Senate in a district that includes some of Slay’s south St. Louis base.

Hubbard and Slay appeared together this morning at a City Hall news conference trumpeting efforts to increase minority employment.

Slay went out of his way to credit Hubbard for the initiative, and Hubbard, for his part, made no attempt to distance himself from the mayor.

Hubbard, of course, has made crossover appeal a central part of his political playbook, to the point of irking fellow Democrats who feel he has become too cozy with Republicans in Jefferson City.

Though it’s highly unlikely Slay would endorse a candidate in a contested primary, two key Slay allies - Prosecutor Jennifer Joyce and Tax Collector Gregory F.X. Daly - have already announced their support for Hubbard.

The relationship between Hubbard and Slay might be mutually beneficial - Slay is up for re-election in less than a year, and Hubbard has shown the ability to flush out votes in places where the mayor has had trouble gaining a foothold.

Their pairing, however, was not the only unlikely alliance at today’s event. Also sharing the spotlight was Labor Council President Bob Soutier and tourism czarina Kitty Ratcliffe, who squared-off recently when a trio of unions were locked out of the convention center.

Hubbard: Flexes crossover appeal