Jewish Light Online

Jake Zimmerman (State Representative 83rd District) and Jeff Smith (State Senator 4th District) speak to students at Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy in October about the way laws are made and how government works. Zimmerman and Smith will be joined in the Missouri Legislature by returning State Rep. Rachel Storch, and three newly elected Jewish legislators: Jill Schupp (D-District 82), Steve Brown (D-District 73) and Jason Kander (of Kansas City). Photo: Dennis Caldwell

The 2008 election was a landmark, with large voter turnout giving the nation a historic Presidential win and Missouri a Democratic governor. Locally, this election also saw an increase in representation of the Jewish community in the Missouri legislature.

Barack Obama won the national race for President and Jay Nixon won the race for Missouri Governor. But there were more Democratic wins in the St. Louis area. Jill Schupp won a spot in the Missouri House as State Representative from District 82, which is in the Creve Coeur area. Rachel Storch, Missouri State Representative, District 64, and Steve Brown, Missouri State Representative, District 73, won their races handily. Jake Zimmerman, Missouri State Representative, District 83, who ran unopposed, was also returned to the House.

Along with State Senator Jeff Smith, who was not up for re-election this term, and Missouri State Representative Jason Kander from Kansas City, there are now six members of the Missouri legislature who are from the Jewish community, five of them from the St. Louis area.

Rep. Jake Zimmerman commented on this increase in Jewish representation in Missouri. "We are well on our way to a minyan," he said, an observation echoed by new State Representative Jill Schupp.

"Both Rachel Storch and I were heavily involved in the effort to try to win more Democratic seats in the House in the St. Louis area and in the state," Zimmerman said. "We had a pretty good night in the St. Louis area."

"It is better to have more voices," Zimmerman said. "Previously, we were at three (Jewish) members, which is probably roughly around the proportions of the Jewish community in Missouri." he said.

"The success that's most exciting for the Jewish community is that we elected Jill Schupp, in the Creve Coeur area," he said. "Jill is just the most special human being, one of the most wonderful people I have ever met in politics. Her win was a real highlight of the election."

Jill Schupp said that her campaign started with lots of grassroots volunteers. "We had a plan, we followed it, it was very 'customer-service' orientated," Schupp said. "I wanted everyone to understand that my real job was to represent the people of the 82nd District."

Schupp found Jay Nixon's early win encouraging. "I thought it boded well for the state as a whole," she said. She did not learn that she had won her own race until after 11 p.m.

On election night, Zimmerman made the rounds of Democratic election parties, stopping by campaign parties for Storch, Schupp and others, before heading to Jay Nixon's party at the Pageant and spending some time with the Obama party.

"I'm thrilled," he said about Obama's win. "I was an early Barack Obama endorser. A year ago, I was ringing doorbells on cold days in Iowa, asking people to support him in caucuses. I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do, not because I thought we would win. When I think about people who dreamed this day would come, I'm a little emotional about it."

Schupp described Barack Obama's national win of the presidential race as one of the most exciting moments of the evening. "To know that people stepped up to the plate and said, it is really time to make a change. This was a historic moment," she said. "For me personally, and our campaign, to know we had elected a person we believed to be the better candidate, and that no one made race an issue, that it was about the strength and character of the person who was going to serve the country. Just a very exciting moment for everybody in the room."

"I wish Missouri had come out a little stronger for Obama," she said. "But historically, Missouri has been divided, even back to the Civil War."

Zimmerman was not surprised at Jay Nixon's early win of the governor's race. "Jay Nixon is the most popular politician in Missouri. I had every expectation that Jay was going to win," he said. "Now the Republican legislature will have to deal with Jay and Jay with the Republican legislature."

State Representative Rachel Storch, who was re-elected to represent the 64th District, participated in an election night event with local PBS and the St. Louis Beacon. "I thing everybody anticipated Jay Nixon's win but obviously, as a Democrat, I felt so happy about the possibility to take the state in a new direction."

Zimmerman, Storch, and Schupp all expressed hopes that having more Jewish voices in the Missouri legislature could help focus on critical issues the upcoming legislative session.

"I know each of these individuals personally," Storch said. "I respect their abilities to be able to advocate in the legislature for things the Jewish community cares about, like health care, the protection of stem cell research, on behalf of low-income Missourians, promoting access to education. Each one of these representatives will be able to weigh in strongly."

"I'm thrilled about it," Schupp said, about the increased representation. "I think that, being Jewish, one of the things I grew up with was the idea of certain values, that you get involved, support the people around you, work to do whatever part you can do to 'heal the world.'"

"I know that in my district, we have a strong, involved Jewish community and I know they were hugely helpful in my campaign," she said.

Schupp is already heading to Jefferson City, to look for a place to live during the session, participate in organizing committees and have a tour of the state.

Topping the list of issues Schupp wants to work on are health care, education, alternative energy sources and building environmentally sound communities.

"I've long felt that the Jewish community, as a pretty successful minority group, and as one that knows first hand the problems of intolerance, that we have a special responsibility to be a voice for decency and justice in our society and a voice against divisive politics that turn groups against one another," said Zimmerman.

"So now that there's more Jews in Jefferson City, it is all of our responsibility to stand up for justice and fight for what we believe in, and that is a lot bigger that just what is good for the Jewish community.

"Tikkun olam is an essential part of why I am who I am and why I do what I do. That core Jewish value is inextricably intertwined with my idea of public service. It's nice to have more allies, more people to work with.

Andria Simckes, who ran for State Treasurer in the primary but did not garner enough votes to move on the general election, offered some comments on the election. Simckes, who is both Jewish and African American and married to an Israeli, had glowing words on the election's outcome.

"On members of the Jewish community winning election, I am extremely excited that Jake Zimmerman, Jill Schupp and Rachel Storch won. They are great assets to our state legislature. I hope, in the future, we are able to get more Jewish members in state government as well," Simckes said.

"On Barack, I can tell you I am extremely excited about the future, as well as I never expected to see an African American elected President in my lifetime. This historic election shows that not only was America ready, which is cause for celebration, but also the world was ready for change."

LOCAL | 2008 MISSOURI ELECTIONS

Gains for Jewish representation in MO