果酱视频

ST. LOUIS COUNTY 鈥� Family ties aren鈥檛 unusual in Missouri politics, with 果酱视频 Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and ex-U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay among the many figures with close relatives who also have held elective office.

But few can compete with the Waltons of north 果酱视频 County when it comes to sheer numbers of candidates.

In Tuesday鈥檚 Democratic primary, seven members of the extended Walton family are vying for nine different offices.

That includes the patriarch, Elbert Walton Jr., a former state representative and disbarred lawyer who鈥檚 been involved in various controversies over the past five decades. This year, he鈥檚 in a three-way race for Democratic committeeman in Norwood Township and is also steering the family鈥檚 various campaigns.

鈥淚鈥檓 the manager. I manage everything,鈥� says Walton. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what I enjoy doing. It鈥檚 just my passion.鈥�

Walton, 82, got his start in 果酱视频 city politics in the 1970s and moved to North County in the 1990s, launching a political organization aimed at representing the growing number of fellow Black residents in the area.

Preeminent in Tuesday鈥檚 Walton electoral lineup are the reelection campaign of one of Walton鈥檚 daughters, state Sen. Angela Walton Mosley of Florissant, and the comeback bid of another, former County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray of Black Jack.

Gray is trying to unseat Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb of North County, who defeated Gray in the 2020 Democratic primary and went on to win the general election. Mosley is challenged for the Senate nomination by state Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark of North County.

Meanwhile, two Mosley daughters 鈥� Chanel Mosley of North County and Janay Mosley of Florissant 鈥� are candidates for the state House. Each has two Democratic primary opponents.

Chanel Mosley wants to succeed her uncle, term-limited Rep. Alan Gray, who is Rochelle Walton Gray鈥檚 husband. Janay Mosley is running for the seat held now by her father, term-limited Rep. Jay Mosley.

Jay Mosley is running for Florissant Township Democratic committeeman, and his wife, Senator Mosley, is trying to unseat the township鈥檚 committeewoman, Mary Elizabeth Dorsey.

Rochelle Gray, the county council candidate, also is running for reelection as Ferguson Township committeewoman.

The seventh Walton-related candidate on Tuesday鈥檚 ballot is Yvonne Gray, Rep. Gray鈥檚 sister, who is running for Spanish Lake Township committeewoman against incumbent Gwen Reed. Walton, through two political committees, also aids other North County candidates.

Kem Smith, one of Janay Mosley鈥檚 opponents, said the numerous Walton family officeholders in recent years are akin to a North County monarchy.

鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely bothered by it,鈥� said Smith, an English teacher at McCluer North High School. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not in Britain; this is the United States.鈥�

Regarding family members鈥� continued runs for state legislative seats, Smith contended that they amount to an attempt to get around the term-limit law in place for the House and Senate.

鈥淲e are not supposed to hand one role to the next family member,鈥� she said.

Walton, of Moline Acres, insists that he鈥檚 鈥渘ot a boss at all.鈥�

He said while he鈥檚 involved in his family鈥檚 campaigns, he doesn鈥檛 dictate what they do in office.

鈥淲hen they get elected, they make whatever decisions they鈥檙e going to make,鈥� he said.

But he has shown interest in goings-on at the 果酱视频 County Council. In 2017, he appeared at a council meeting to accuse all five white members of the council at the time of conspiring to defeat a bill by his daughter, Rochelle, that was intended to give full control of redevelopment of the Jamestown Mall site to the council.

Walton, when he represented a 果酱视频 district in the House from 1979 to 1992, was known as an outspoken maverick, sometimes clashing with other Democrats.

Mike Jones, a former 果酱视频 alderman who isn鈥檛 related to Mayor Jones, called Walton 鈥渁 brilliant tactician鈥� in campaigns who, once elected, wasn鈥檛 known for political compromise.

鈥淗is predisposition was to be assertive and confrontational,鈥� said Jones, who grew up in the same north 果酱视频 neighborhood with Walton. 鈥淗e would be quicker to turn the table over than negotiate at the table.鈥�

Later, Walton was involved in a controversy about 15 years ago as an attorney for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, which was criticized for financial mismanagement by the state auditor and others.

Then in 2019, Walton was disbarred by the Missouri Supreme Court after the court鈥檚 Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel found probable cause that he committed professional misconduct.

He also had been disciplined previously, including an 18-month license suspension in 2017 connected to his conduct during a 2013 bankruptcy case.

The bankruptcy court said Walton in the trial yelled at the judge, was 鈥渙bnoxious and disrespectful鈥� in his tone and demeanor, and didn鈥檛 file documents or responses in a timely manner.

Walton鈥檚 first race was an unsuccessful long-shot try for 果酱视频 aldermanic president in 1975. He followed that up in 1978, narrowly defeating an incumbent state representative allied with the then-powerful state Sen. J.B. 鈥淛et鈥� Banks, D-果酱视频.

Mike Jones said Walton was a trailblazer for young Black Democrats in the 1970s when he went up against Banks鈥� leadership.

鈥淓lbert was the first of our generation to actually take on the Black Democratic machines鈥� in charge in many city wards then, Jones said. 鈥淗e challenged the organizations.鈥�

Jones, who later became a top aide to former 果酱视频 Mayor Clarence Harmon and former County Executive Charlie Dooley, now is a part-time adviser to County Executive Sam Page, a Walton ally. Jones says he鈥檚 not involved in the current Walton campaigns.

Walton gave up his House seat in 1992 to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for 果酱视频 circuit attorney. Later, he moved to North County and gradually built his political organization aimed at Black county residents.

鈥淭here was a void there,鈥� said former 果酱视频 Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury. 鈥淗e filled that void.鈥�

From 2001 through 2008, his wife 鈥� Juanita Head Walton, a former 果酱视频 School Board member 鈥� served in the Missouri House and left due to term limits. The Waltons later divorced; she died in 2016.

Juanita Walton was succeeded in the House by her stepdaughter, Rochelle Walton Gray, who moved on to the County Council in 2016 when she, too, hit the term-limit wall. She, in turn, was succeeded by her husband, Alan Gray, who now faces term limits.

Jennings Councilman Terry Wilson, the current Norwood Township committeeman Elbert Walton is running against this year, said the Waltons have taken family politics 鈥渢o another level.鈥�

But in the end, Wilson said, 鈥渢he folks still have to vote,鈥� and that鈥檚 who ultimately decides.