ST. LOUIS — In late February, about a week before the St. Louis mayoral Democratic primary, candidate Lyda Krewson received a donation from an unlikely source.
Republican Jerry Hunter, who was appointed to become St. Louis Election Board commissioner, gave money to Krewson’s campaign. Hunter then said the $1,000 donation was made on Feb. 28 and returned the following day.
"That contribution was made before I was asked to go on the board," Hunter told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Hunter refused comment when reached by the St. Louis Record.
The election board is charged with certifying election results and supervising the process.
Krewson won the Democratic Party primary, edging Tishaura Jones. In the general election on April 4, Krewson will face Republican Andrew Jones.
“My campaign, we are out knocking on doors, doing mail and trying to get the vote out on April 4,” Krewson told St. Louis Public Radio. “I don’t take this as a slam-dunk at all. There are some very credible and possible candidates on the ballot.”
In the Democratic primary, Krewson won with 32 percent and 17,110 votes. Tishaura Jones received 30 percent of the vote and gained 16,222 votes. They were followed by Lewis Reed with 9,775 votes, Antonio French with 8,460, Jeffrey Boyd with 1,429, William Haas with 257 and Jimmie Matthews with 145.
In the Republican primary, Jones won with 1,022 votes. Other GOP candidates were Andy Karandzieff with 399 votes and Jim Osher with 232 votes.
When St. Louis citizens head to the polls, there will be other candidates in addition to Krewson and Jones.
Also on the ballot will be Green Party nominee Johnathan McFarland, Libertarian Robb Cunningham and independent candidates Tyrone Austin and Larry Rice.
According to the St. Louis Public Radio, the Libertarian and Green parties received automatic ballot access in the election because their respective candidates collected enough votes in previous elections. The write-in candidates, meanwhile, had to collect signatures from registered voters to qualify.