After serving more than 33 years as a council member and mayor of University City, Joe Adams is moving to a new political arena.

Adams, the city’s mayor since 1996, is running for state senator in the 14th District. He is one of what for now is a three-candidate race in the Democratic primary next August.

Joining Adams in organizing state Senate campaign committees are State Rep. Theodore “Ted” Hoskins, D-Berkeley, and former State Rep. Esther Haywood, D-Bellerive. Filing of the Aug. 3, 2010 election opens on Feb. 23 and closes March 30.

The three candidates are trying to succeed State Sen. Rita Days, D-Bel-Nor, who cannot run for reelection because of term limits.

The district in north central St. Louis County generally runs from University City north of Delmar Boulevard northwestward to Interstate 270. It includes the Normandy area and parts of Bridgeton and Hazelwood.

State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, has been mentioned as candidate for the state Senate seat. On Friday she said she is considering running for it. But now “my effort is focused on the 72nd District,” she said. That district which she represents covers northern University City, Wellston and Pagedale.

Adams served as University City council member from the 2nd Ward for 20 years before winning the mayor’s seat. Adams said he probably will endorse a candidate for mayor in next year’s election.

He recently completed a one-year term as president of the St. Louis County Municipal League.

Adams said he has particular interests in transportation and education. He said he would seek state subsidies not only for Metro in the St. Louis region, but also for transit in Kansas City and Springfield.

Adams also is looking for more money for education. “The state Constitution requires adequate funding for education,” he said. “The state hasn’t done that, not for k-through-12 education and higher education as well. I know the state has a tight budget. The state should look at its priorities, look at the priorities set by the Constitution,” he said.

Adams, 65, obtained a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He came to St. Louis to teach at St. Louis Community College. He retired from the college in 2003. He is married and has four children.

Hoskins, 70, won a fourth term in the state House of Representative last November and can’t run again because of term limits.

Hoskins had a lengthy career in city government. He served as councilman from the 3rd Ward in Berkeley from 1985 to 1996 and mayor from 1996 to 1999. Voters elected him to the House from the 80th District in 2003.

Hoskins said his campaign would stress education, economic development and health care.

He has been controversial in Jefferson City because of his support of tax credits, charter schools and home schooling that involve alternatives to public schools. But he said Friday he also supports improving the quality of education in public schools.

Hoskins, 70, retired as an auditor for Metro in 2000 after 39 years with the transit agency. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri St. Louis. He is married, has three children and one grandchild.

Haywood left the state House of Representatives in January after reaching term limits.

She said her campaign would stress help for the elderly, health care and education. She said she strongly supports public schools, saying charter schools take away money from regular public schools.

She said the state should improve education it offers to convicts. Without it inmates who leave prison may be worse than when they entered, she said.

Haywood, 69, was a school teacher for 34 years, all but three of them in the East St. Louis public schools.

She served 18 years on the Normandy School Board.

She is married and has two children and six grandchildren. She attended Lincoln University and earned a bachelor’s degree from the now-closed Mississippi Industrial College, Holly Springs, Miss.