4 Dems compete to succeed Sen. Brian Williams 

Four Democrats are running to succeed state Sen. Brian Williams in North St. Louis County — and struggling to get anyone to notice.

Democrats are focused on turning out voters to oppose two constitutional amendments, while television and social media advertising is intensifying in the St. Louis-based 1st Congressional District rematch between incumbent Wesley Bell and former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush.

Perhaps the biggest draw in the district is the race for St. Louis County executive, where Williams himself is a candidate.

“It’s gonna be tough for the people who don’t have name ID,” said Terry Wilson, a Jennings councilman and longtime North St. Louis County political organizer. “People are going to get drowned out by all of that.”

Whoever wins the Aug. 4 Democratic primary will be the overwhelming favorite in November against Republican Vernon Norman in the heavily Democratic 14th Senate District.

Wilson, who has not endorsed a candidate, said longtime Northwoods resident John Bowman likely has the strongest name recognition. Bowman is president of the St. Louis County NAACP, a political consultant and former state representative.

He said outgoing state Rep. Raychel Proudie of Ferguson also has a high profile because of her impassioned speeches during House debate that have drawn attention on social media.

Joe Palm of University City has spent decades in state and federal public health leadership, while Shante Duncan of University City has built a nonprofit serving women and girls and operates a political consulting business.

“I think everybody has a unique story,” Wilson said. “It’s a good field of candidates to choose from because they all bring some type of experience to the table, which is what we need.”

John Bowman

Bowman’s organizing roots began in organized labor.

A North St. Louis County resident for more than 40 years, he spent most of his career as an electrician at the Chrysler plant while belonging to the United Auto Workers and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

“I saw firsthand how powerful organized labor can be in lifting working families like mine and creating opportunities for advancement,” Bowman said.

His union work led him into politics, first as a Northwoods alderman and later as a state representative from 2004 to 2008, where he served on the House Budget Committee and sponsored a financial literacy requirement for high school students.

His tenure ended after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tied to a bank scheme. Bowman said he was not involved in the underlying fraud and accepted the plea rather than exhaust his family’s college savings on a legal defense. He later served as chief of staff to former Sen. Robin Wright-Jones before becoming NAACP president.

Bowman said he has spent years advocating for grocery stores in food deserts and greater equity in economic development.

“It’s an obligation for people like me,” he said, “who have the experience and knowledge of how to get things done to stand in the gap.”

Shante Duncan

As a young journalist, Duncan placed an advertisement in The St. Louis American seeking women interested in joining a sister circle called S.H.E.R.A.H. — Sisters Helping Each Other Reach Higher Heights.

The group focused on building community through activities such as yoga, meditation and mutual support.

“Then it took on a life of its own,” Duncan said.

Its growth eventually led her to open the Joan B. Quinn Safe House in 2018, providing housing for women recovering from domestic violence, sexual violence and sex trafficking.

While attending the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Duncan also created the LOVE Project, a self-esteem program that expanded into area schools. She said it has served more than 6,000 women and girls of color through workshops, healing circles and retreats.

Duncan later founded SMD Consulting, advising nonprofits and businesses before becoming a campaign strategist and regional field director for the Missouri Democratic Party.

“I do have experience, not as an elected official, but as someone moving in communities,” she said. “I have these relationships that I can leverage to help ensure that I am ready for the fight ahead.”

Joe Palm

Palm began his public service career as a St. Louis firefighter, an experience he says shaped his approach to leadership.

“As a firefighter, you have to go in when people are running out,” he said. “No matter what barriers you run into, you keep your focus on getting the job done.”

Over the past two decades, Palm has served in state and federal public health leadership. As chief of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Minority Health, he oversaw programs addressing the opioid crisis, violent crime and health disparities, including the rollout of COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.

In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed Palm regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversaw operations across 15 states and territories.

Palm attended Berkeley Middle School and graduated from Ritenour High School before settling in University City.

“I have great experience on a local, state, and federal level at a time such as this where that knowledge can be helpful for the communities across this district,” he said.

Palm said the candidates largely share similar goals but believes his experience implementing programs sets him apart.

Raychel Proudie

Proudie, who grew up in Ferguson, began her career as an elementary school teacher in Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, working with students displaced from New Orleans.

“Those children were still expected to perform on those tests,” she said. “There wasn’t a deep appreciation, like it is now, for the trauma that those children experienced.”

The experience inspired her to earn a master’s degree in mental health counseling. After returning to Ferguson in 2016 to raise her nephew, she worked as a counselor in the Riverview Gardens School District, serving students from neighborhoods still affected by the aftermath of Michael Brown Jr.’s 2014 police shooting.

She was elected to the Missouri House in 2018.

Proudie points to legislation she has sponsored, including a law clarifying that pregnancy cannot prevent a divorce from being finalized, along with measures providing state assistance for testing toxic nuclear waste and banning race-based hair discrimination in public education.

As the only St. Louis County member of the House Budget Committee, she said she has secured millions for local infrastructure projects.

“We have to go about this another way, because that same old, same old, is how we found ourselves in this position in the first place,” she said. “So right now, we need different and we need stamina.”

This story originally appeared here.

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