Ken Waller, who performed a pivotal function in turning Jefferson County right into a Republican stronghold, died Saturday. He was 63.
The Herculaneum Republican was in his third yr as a state consultant for the 114th Home District, which takes in parts of Jefferson County. He was planning on working for the twenty second Senate District subsequent yr towards a number of different GOP contenders.
“He will likely be missed by all,” stated Jefferson County Govt Dennis Gannon on Fb. “A person for all Jefferson County.”
Waller was a graduate of the College of Missouri-St. Louis who labored within the insurance coverage trade earlier than he jumped into county politics. During a 2023 episode of Politically Speaking, Waller stated his neighbor, then-Jefferson County Treasurer Donald King, instructed him he was retiring and recommended he run to succeed him.
On the time, Waller famous that almost all of Jefferson County’s officers had been Democrats. And he recognized extra with the Republican Get together.
“I am just a little bit extra conservative, and never that Democrats had been dangerous, however I simply suppose that is the place I align my political opinions,” Waller stated. “And he goes, ‘Nicely, you already know, issues are altering.’”
Waller received his bid to succeed King in 2004 – a yr when Republicans did effectively all throughout the state. But he faced an electoral setback four years later when he misplaced reelection to former state Rep. Mark Abel. That was the one race Waller ever misplaced.
Two years later, Jefferson County transformed right into a constitution county – which means that voters there would elect a county government for the primary time. He ended up capturing the highly effective workplace throughout a 2010 election during which Republicans triumphed in quite a few races throughout Jefferson County.
Though Republicans grew to become dominant in county authorities all through his tenure there, Waller famous that GOP dominance didn’t all the time solid away disagreement about easy methods to run fast-growing Jefferson County. He stated there was usually a divide between the suburban northern a part of the county and the agricultural parts.
“It takes quite a lot of endurance to get issues finished,” Waller stated. “Folks have completely different viewpoints. Folks will say ‘Nicely, you are a Republican or Democrat, and you already know, in case your get together is that this, the whole lot ought to go good.’ County authorities, that is probably not the best way it really works. We had six out of seven positions on the county council, and there have been quite a lot of issues we disagreed upon.”
Waller served two phrases as county government earlier than transitioning to county clerk in 2018. By the point he received his state legislative seat in 2022, Republicans held each workplace in Jefferson County – one thing that may have been unthinkable when he first began in politics.
Jason Rosenbaum
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St. Louis Public Radio
Transition to state legislative area
In some respects, Waller’s political profession was uncommon. He transitioned from being a county official with quite a lot of tangible government energy to one in every of 163 state lawmakers.
However in his 2023 interview, Waller stated he all the time wished to make the leap to state politics. He famous that he visited Jefferson Metropolis dozens of occasions as a county elected official and felt like he wished to make an affect on a state stage.
“I do know it sounds loopy. Folks say, ‘Why would you wish to go up there and spend time away from your loved ones?’” Waller stated. “It was simply one thing I wished to do.”
Waller ended up serving on Home committees coping with state pensions and elections. Since he was the highest elections official in Jefferson County, he participated in debates about whether or not to resurrect a presidential major that his GOP colleagues scrapped.
Though he held a high-profile place in Jefferson County politics, Waller stated he spent a lot of his first yr studying the legislative course of. And he stated he was capable of work with members of each events.
“Some individuals say: ‘Nicely, it needed to be a giant adjustment.’ It actually wasn’t. I used to be able to attempt one thing on a legislative aspect,” Waller stated. “My job was to characterize the individuals in my district, of which I’ve lived in that district for 61 years. I assumed it is time to give again to my group in a smaller sense. And I believe that is why the transition was a lot less complicated.”
Colleagues reward Waller
A lot of Waller’s colleagues paid tribute to him on Sunday.
“The individuals of the 114th District and all of Missouri have misplaced a devoted public servant and a real good friend to his group,” Gov. Mike Kehoe stated in an announcement. “Ken was a person of religion, household, and integrity, and his service mirrored these values.”
State Rep. Brad Christ of St. Louis County stated Waller “represented and embodied Jeffco completely. “
“We simply had lunch a pair weeks in the past at Applebee’s and all he wished to speak about was religion and household,” Waller stated. “He’s little question in heaven sporting his American Flag jacket.”
Rep. Josh Hurlbert, R-Smithville, stated the legislature “misplaced one of many good guys.”
“I met Ken throughout our first session collectively in 2023 after I was assigned as his ‘mentor.’ He did not want me, and I most likely realized extra from him and his gregarious character and outlook on life,” Hurlbert stated. “I’ll miss seeing him across the Capitol.”
Rep. David Casteel, a Jefferson County Republican who was working towards Waller for state Senate, stated his colleague was “one in every of a form.”
“He was all the time there to assist anybody that wanted it and served his group for over 20 years,” Casteel stated. “He’s undoubtedly with God now.”
Waller is survived by his spouse, Trina, three kids and one grandchild.
