Tagged: St. Louis Board of Aldermen

"The last elected GOP official has left the building.”

That's how Aldermen Fred Heitert concluded his remarks at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen this morning as his colleagues paid tribute to his 32 years of service.

Heitert was one of two incumbents to lose re-election bids this cycle.

He was the longest-serving member of the current board, and was ousted six years short of having the longest aldermanic career.

His colleagues who rose in tribute spoke of his wisdom, and the fact that he always paid attention.

Larry Arnowitz knew his campaign against Fred Heitert was a long-shot at best. After all, Heitert had served the 12th Ward on the city’s southwest side since 1979, winning eight elections as a Republican without the benefit of a Republican voting base. (He lost that in the 1981 redistricting, when the other Republican poached it.

But during his years as a city employee, Arnowitz got to meet Albert "Red" Villa, the longest-serving alderman in St. Louis history. He also served as a deputy sheriff at the pleasure of Red's son Tom, when Tom was the Board president. (The two will serve together on the board for the next two years. Tom is filling the seat of his nephew Matt, who resigned to focus on expanding Villa Lighting, the family business.)

Another incumbent alderman has lost his seat at City Hall.

Fred Heitert, a 32-year members of the Board of Aldermen and for many years its only Republican, lost his re-election bid by 48 votes to Democrat Larry Arnowitz, a longtime city employee.