ST. LOUIS – Reversing course, Rep. Keith English has decided to ultimately run for re-election in the 68th House District as an independent candidate after he decided last September not to run.
English ran in 2014 as a Democrat, though he rescinded his membership from the party in Jan. 2015. He is now officially an independent who has socially and somewhat fiscally conservative views while remaining one of the biggest advocates for unions in the Capitol.
“When I left the Democratic party, I thought that would be the end of my political career,” English said. In addition to his four years in the House, English previously worked as a city councilman in Florissant for six years. “I decided after 10 years, that’s a pretty good jaunt.”
However, after settling some personal matters and when another independent candidate dropped out for personal reasons of his own, English found that his name resonated in the district still and the people he heard from still wanted him to serve.
“I love my district very much, I love representing the district, and I’ve built great relationships those four years,” English said.
With the filing period well past due, English will officially run as an independent. Missouri law says an independent candidate can file after the party filings close in April, so long as they do so before the date of the primary. English filed at 10 a.m. Friday.
The district currently has a Democratic primary between Bert Atkins and Jay Mosley, both from Florissant, but English says he’s not sold on either candidate. Mosley is a recent arrival to the area from Sacramento, California, and English believes Atkins, a former state representative, “failed the district” during his time in the General Assembly. Now, despite his position as an incumbent, English fears he may not make it back into office, but he’s more than willing to serve if selected again.
“It’s gonna be tough, I’ve got a lot of people that are disappointed that I left the Democratic party… but in the end, I do work hard for the people of MO and the 68.
