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Stream talks county executive race, party politics

SAINT LOUIS, Mo.  — Speculation about the future of term-limited representatives is something of a pastime among political junkies. As the final year of Rick Stream’s 8-year term was coming to a close, plenty in his party were wondering what he planned to do next.

Stream, chair of the budget committee in the House, has quite the leadership resume, and his colleagues were hoping the 65-year-old wasn’t planning a quiet retirement just yet. The most widely accepted speculation was that Stream would seek a seat in the Missouri Senate in 2016. His home senator, Eric Schmitt, will be termed at that point. Many said Stream — who served 12 years on a school board after a lengthy career in the military and the Department of Defense —  was the natural successor.

Rep. Stream
Rep. Stream

“People began to approach me and say that they were worried there were no Republicans running in the county executive race that could win a general election,” Stream said. “And honestly, I was pretty skeptical at first that I was that guy.”

Stream said he wanted outside opinions, so he sought out several Republican consultants from the St. Louis area with whom he did not have a personal relationship.

“I wanted an assessment from people who didn’t know me or don’t have anything to gain by my running to tell me what they thought,” Stream said. “And after sitting down with some people whose opinion’s I respect, they basically said that this was a great year to go for that seat and that my resume did make me a good candidate.”

Stream admits he was eyeing Schmitt’s senate seat in 2016 before ultimately deciding to throw his hat into the county executive race. He also said that if he were elected county executive he would like to serve at least two terms, and that he would not seek a senate seat.

But first, Stream has to win a race that has been an almost impossible mountain for Republicans to climb. Despite dominating much of the legislature, Republicans haven’t rarely won the county executive slot and current Democratic incumbent, Charlie Dooley, has had the position for more than a decade.

“It’s absolutely an uphill climb, but I didn’t get in it to lose,” Stream said. “I think one of the reasons I have a serious shot is that people in the county are prepared to transcend party lines if it means getting better management and better leadership. I think I have a proven record of good management and leadership and I think people will see that regardless of party.”

But even if Stream does win over Democrats and/or independents, he still has to survive primary voters in his own party. His sole opponent, Tony Pousosa, is arguably running to Stream’s right. Pousosa has taken to chiding Stream for deliberately missing a vote on Right-to-Work this year in the House and failing to appear on a vote on common core.

Stream, however, said Pousosa wouldn’t have much luck with those accusations once people knew the facts.

“I was a key part of that Common Core bill, but when it came up for a vote in the last few days of session I was in negotiations with the Senate at the time on the state budget, in my capacity as chairman of the budget,” Stream said. “But I worked extremely closely with Representative Kurt Bahr, that bill’s sponsor, and I was very supportive of it.”

On Right-to-Work, Stream says it is an example of an outsider “criticizing from a distance.”

“The proponents of Right-to-Work told me to miss the vote,” Stream said. “We aren’t ever going to pass Right-to-Work without a Republican governor. So why would I take a vote that is going to make it harder to work with people in labor, who I’ve been able to compromise with in the past? It’s easy to criticize, but these are calculated decisions we have to make.”

Stream’s biggest advantage in the race is likely his resume and his access to larger donors. The longtime state representative and powerful chairman of the budget will know where to find cash quickly and he is still formulating his campaign team. However, he did confirm that David Barklage, one of the state’s highest-profile Republican strategists, is going to be working on his campaign.

Stream plans on running as the consummate professional with a proven record.

“I was a Naval officer during wartime, I’ve worked in management for the Department of Defense, I was a school board member and for a time school board president, and I was a state representative and chairman of the budget committee,” Stream said. “If you don’t agree with my positions, that’s fine, but nobody can say I don’t have qualifications.”

Stream said the biggest complaint he heard in the county wasn’t partisan.

“People think the county has been mismanaged and they are right,” Stream said. “They are just frustrated with how poorly run and how poorly managed the county government is. I want to fix that. I believe I can fix that, and do it in a professional and smart way.”