An array of Republican officials, including former U.S. Senator Jim Talent and House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, endorsed Rep. Shamed Dogan in his campaign for St. Louis County executive Thursday.
The list from Dogan’s campaign, first shared with The Missouri Times, included nearly two dozen current and former officials. Some of Dogan’s colleagues in the statehouse as well as local officials were included among the endorsements.
“These endorsements show that a cross-section of St. Louis County Republicans and independent municipal leaders are willing to unite to defeat Sam Page and bring new leadership to St. Louis County,” Dogan said. “These leaders know that I am a common-sense conservative who has worked across party lines to get things done while serving in Jefferson City. We are building a strong coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats as we head into next November, and I am honored to have their support.”
Reps. Dottie Bailey, Bruce DeGroot, David Gregory, and Michael O’Donnell — all from St. Louis County — have thrown their weight behind Dogan’s campaign. Former Missouri GOP chairman John Hancock and former Missouri GOP executive director Jean Evans are also among Thursday’s endorsements.
At the local level, Ballwin Mayor Tim Pogue, Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation, Eureka Mayor Sean Flower, Glendale Mayor Mike Wilcox, Wildwood Mayor Jim Bowlin, and St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch have backed Dogan.
Other endorsements included:
- Former state Sen. David Klarich
- Former state Rep. Sue Allen
- Former GOP state committeewoman Jan Klarich
- Clayton Township GOP committeeman David Stokes
- Maryland Heights Township GOP committeeman Tom Wilsdon
- Maryland Heights Township Republican Club president and former Parkway School board member Sudhir Rathod
- St. Louis Young Republican chairman Frank Catanzaro
- Former St. Louis Young Republican chair and former Gravois Township GOP committeewoman Katy Forand
Dogan was first elected to represent HD 98 in St. Louis County in 2014. In the House, he is the chairman of the Special Committee on Criminal Justice and serves on the Special Committee on Redistricting, among others.
From Ballwin, Dogan is on the board of the Epworth Children & Family Services. Before serving in the General Assembly, he was an alderman in St. Louis County.
As of the latest campaign filings, Dogan had more than $11,500 cash on hand.
County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, won the election as the county executive in 2020 after being appointed to the position by the county council the year prior. He’s come under scrutiny for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as he has pushed for health orders such as shutdowns and mask mandates.
Page is a former state representative and county councilman and is a medical doctor.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
