ST. LOUIS • The year that ends this week included the expected amount of tumult for twelve months that saw officials rewrite Congressional district boundaries, political hopefuls jockeying for position and St. Louis pining for a national convention.

Here, in somewhat ascending order, are the top local political stories of 2011:

Roy Blunt rolls. Missouri's new junior U.S. Senator ended 2010 by trouncing Democrat Robin Carnahan to replace Kit Bond in Washington. How's it going in his first year? Just fine, thank you. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, whose Beltway savvy was honed as the GOP Whip in the House for six years, has avoided becoming embroiled in any highly-partisan scraps. He's worked well across the aisle — he teamed up with U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill to help protect some Lake of the Ozarks homes — and earned the trust of his own party, incrementally climbing up the Senate leadership ladder by winning the election for vice chairman of the party conference.

Charlie Dooley dukes it out. St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley survived a strong challenge from Republican Bill Corrigan to win a fresh term in Clayton. But, now that he's extended his lease, he's finding opposition from his own party: Democrats on the county council unhappy with his budget proposals. But, as is the case with many family spats, it's never about that one thing. Democrats may sense that a battered Dooley would have a tough time winning again in 2014, if he even wants to run. Dooley, meanwhile, may be reacting to the perception that others around him — Steve Stenger, Jake Zimmerman —are measuring the drapes in the executive office.

Joplin tornado. Other government leaders have been criticized for lounging in sunny vacation locales when natural disasters befell their constituents. But Gov. Jay Nixon was immediately on hand when a devastating tornado hit Joplin in May, and has maintained a steady presence as the ravaged city rebuilds. It would be overly cynical and inaccurate to describe Nixon's attention as purely political; but it would also be naive to say that the governor is not aware of how fumbling disaster response could hurt his fortunes at the ballot box. The reaction to Nixon's efforts in Joplin have generally been positive. Don't be surprised if the big GOP donors in the Joplin area decide against filling the coffers of Nixon's opponent.

Mr. Germ-X. Before there was Dave Spence, there was John Brunner. The former head of the company that makes Germ-X hand sanitizer launched a campaign, backed by his own fortune, to unseat Claire McCaskill. Brunner's campaign is not off to a sizzling start — he's had to run a round of commercials just to get his name ID to match that of his primary rivals. But Brunner's candidacy has the potential to alter the template for running for statewide office in Missouri, which has typically included having the right last name, being a current or former official, or a combination of the two.

Redbird fever. Is any 2011 list complete without including the Comeback Cardinals and their World Series trophy? It's not a political story in the traditional sense, but, locally, the October heroics were as captivating as any November election. Plus, what other event would have Jay Nixon enjoying a plate of barbecue, courtesy of Texas Gov. Rick Perry?

Rex in effect. By one estimate, free market evangelist Rex Sinquefield's political spending in Missouri reached $17 million this year. The mutual fund maven has shown no signs of slowing down in his attempts to rewrite state tax law, push school choice legislation and extricate the St. Louis police department from state control. His goal for 2012 — tossing the state income tax — could be his most divisive yet. Sinquefield is hardly a household name, yet he continues to have more influence in the Capitol than many elected officials.

And the winner is ... Charlotte. St. Louis put on a full-court press to land the 2012 Democratic National Convention. By most accounts, they were the runner-up to Charlotte, N.C., which profited from a New South appeal and better political positioning. But if President Barack Obama can't keep North Carolina in his column, the party may have buyer's remorse for holding their convention in a right-to-work state that also happens to be a banking hub. How will Occupy activists respond to a hospitality tent sponsored by Bank of America? Either way, it's hard to imagine that St. Louis won't be a convention front-runner in 2016.

China hub-bub. Proponents of building a China hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport have racked up thousands of frequent flier miles shuttling local, state and federal officials across the Pacific. But they were unable to make sufficient inroads in Jefferson City, where the tax credit plan died as a result of the opposition from a handful of state senators. The aftermath may not only include empty runaway space, but frustrated St. Louis business leaders taking a more active role in the state Capitol.

Boundary issues. The consequences of the decennial redistricting marathon are still unfolding. State legislators are scrambling to figure out where the new map leaves them. Some have decided to leave the Capitol altogether, following their political ambitions in local or statewide contests. And that's just on the General Assembly level. Where does the new Congressional map leave U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, who has insisted he will run for re-election even though his district was eliminated? It could be an epically polarizing primary if Carnahan decides to take on fellow St. Louis Democrat U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay.

Clipped wings. McCaskill was emerging as the populist Sheriff of the Senate Floor before she acknowledged she failed to pay a $320,000 tax bill on her private airplane. The controversy stung McCaskill unlike any other in her political career, which has been built on a folksy appeal and an almost religious disdain for taxpayer abuse. McCaskill has showed signs of personal and political resilience — she's lost fifty pounds while building a robust re-election fund — but the real test will come at the ballot box in November 2012. 

Kinder's unkind year. Look no further than Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder for the top Missouri political story of 2011. The Republican's presumptive nominee for governor had the wind at his back to start the year: a strong Republican showing in the 2010 mid-term election foretold good things for his chances against Gov. Jay Nixon. But first came the revelations that Kinder, who once ran on the slogan "Every Dollar Counts," charged taxpayers for hundreds of nights at St. Louis area hotels while he attended Tea Party rallies, a wedding and sporting events. After Kinder repaid the state $54,000 for his travel costs, he was forced to answer questions about his previous affinity for visiting a Sauget strip club. Kinder pulled the plug on his aspirations for governor days before a planned announcement in his hometown of Cape Girardeau last month. During one round of damage control, Kinder used a line from a Dean Martin song to explain his "romantic attraction" to a dancer that he favored. He likely won't be using another Rat Pack classic to describe his 2011 — for Kinder, it wasn't a very good year.