ST. PETERS, Mo. – Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Peters, will not run for a third term in the Missouri House of Representatives, instead seeking office at home, running for mayor of St. Peters.
“It’s time for me to come home,” said Hicks. “I have two young sons and a wife here in St. Peters. I’ve spent four years in Jefferson City, and I’m missing my boys growing up. It’s time for St. Peters to have a fresh outlook.”
St. Peters’ current mayor is Len Pegano, who has said he will be running for a third four-year term. Pegano’s tenure has not been without controversy, as he has led the way on a controversial business park plan on the Mississippi River flood plain and defended the city’s use of red light cameras and involvement in the lawsuit which was ultimately struck down in court.
Hicks told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in July that he had been asked by a group to run, but was unsure if “he was ready for that avenue.” A group had approached Hicks during session, bringing local issues to his attention that weighed on the back of his mind. He said those issues, and his family, were the “puzzle pieces” falling into place for his bid.
“I’m tired of seeing St. Peters fall in the rankings of great cities in Missouri,” Hicks said. “Our neighboring cities are growing and we should be too. I have nothing against the current mayor, but it’s time for a fresh outlook. The puzzle pieces have fallen into place and it’s time for me to come home.”
Hicks hopes to see local transportation and senior housing as priorities for the city in the near future, but also wants to start attracting young families to the city.
The municipal election is in April.
Hicks currently has $20,039.45 in his campaign account.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
