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Roorda to run for Jefferson County Council

BARNHART, Mo. – Jeff Roorda, a former state representative, announced Tuesday his plans to run for the Jefferson County Council.

Roorda
Roorda

The Democrat was term-limited and made an unsuccessful bid for state senate last year, losing to Republican Paul Weiland. Roorda calls the move for county council one with bipartisan support.

Roorda will attempt to take the seat of incumbent George Bob Engelbach of Hillsboro, who has not yet decided if he will run for re-election. Roorda said in a statement that he looks forward to improving a County Council that has struggled since its inception in 2010.

“I strongly supported the county charter and the creation of the county council, but by-and-large, the folks that have served on the council have been overly concerned with petty squabbles and advancing the narrow self interests of a small handful of supporters,” he said. “They’ve done nothing to bring jobs to Jefferson County or to improve our local schools or to make Jefferson County a safer place to live. In fact, they’ve taken the county in the opposite direction on these critical issues.”

The former police officer is currently the business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association.