Has the “change” refrain seeped it’s way into local politics, too?

As the presidential contest continues to echo calls for something new, no fewer than four incumbent mayors were swept away in yesterday’s municipal elections.

In Valley Park, Mayor Jeffery Whitteaker - stung by allegations of an affair with his secretary - was unseated by the owner of a restaurant and ice cream shop.

Wildwood voters ousted Mayor Ed Marshall in an election that hinged on a shopping center. Development was also an issue in Sunset Hills - where voters gave the boot to Mayor John Hunzeker - and Richmond Heights, where two-term Mayor Betty Humphrey was denied her bid for a third term.

Even in areas where the mayor was not on the ballot, incumbents had a tough time. In University City, where a golf driving range has became a wedge issue, former state rep candidate Terry Crow bested incumbent councilwoman Stefany Brot by better than a 2-to-1 margin.

What’s the reason for the turnover? Could it be the economy? A taste of the national zeitgeist? The natural political order?

Either way, at city halls across the St. Louis area, it’s a challenger’s market.

Ousted mayors, from left to right: Humphrey (Richmond Heights), Hunzeker (Sunset Hills), Whitteaker (Valley Park) and Marshall (Wildwood)