JEFFERSON CITY — A heated primary to represent a north ӣƵ County state Senate district is in store as two Democrats from opposing political camps prepare to compete for the job.
State Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, 46, will challenge incumbent state Sen. Angela Mosley, 53, who is running for a second four-year term next year.
Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, left, of north ӣƵ County, and Sen. Angela Mosley, of Florissant. Both are Democrats.
Nickson-Clark’s candidacy is the latest development in a long-running rivalry between two groups of Democrats in north ӣƵ County.
On one side is ӣƵ County Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb and allies, including Nickson-Clark, of unincorporated ӣƵ County, near Florissant.
On the other, family members and allies of Elbert Walton Jr., a longtime politico and former state representative from ӣƵ, are looking to continue their influence.
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Nickson-Clark announced her challenge to Mosley at a Christmas party on Friday in Florissant co-hosted by Webb.
The invitation shows Webb pictured alongside Nickson-Clark. The event was called “Chairwoman Shalonda Webb and Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark’s Christmas Soirée,” underscoring close ties between the two politicians.
The treasurer of a political action committee formed Nov. 1 and supporting Nickson-Clark is former state Rep. Steven Webb, who is Shalonda Webb’s husband.
Nickson-Clark’s announcement followed a dust-up at a September event to mark the demolition of Jamestown Mall in which Webb and Mosley, the incumbent senator, traded barbs from the podium.
Webb accused Mosley of working behind the scenes in Jefferson City to kill $6 million in state money for the demolition, while Mosley said she supported the state funds.
Mosley said her sister, former County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray, “really was the one who championed this when she was in office.”
Webb had defeated Walton Gray in the 2020 Democratic primary for county council. A rematch is on track, with both women filing paperwork to run for county council in 2024.
As for the Senate race, in an interview with the Post-Dispatch on Monday, Nickson-Clark avoided mentioning Mosley by name, but said “change is coming.”
“I really don’t even focus on what somebody else is doing and not doing. I know how valuable I can be for North County,” she said.
Nickson-Clark, first elected to the Legislature last year, said much of her advocacy work began when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago.
Nickson-Clark said she had more than 27 years experience in the banking industry and that she is also a business owner with plans to open a winery in north ӣƵ County.
Mosley did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. In her Senate biography, the incumbent says she is devoted to serving her constituents, saying she organized a COVID-19 vaccine drive in 2021 that benefited more than 2,000 residents.
She also takes credit for $6 million in state funding for the Jamestown Mall demolition — the funding Webb says Mosley worked against.
In addition to the Senate race, two of Mosley’s daughters have filed paperwork to run for the state House next year as two other family members face term limits.
Janay Mosley is running for the Florissant-based 68th House District, which is being vacated by her father, state Rep. Jay Mosley. Jay Mosley is married to Angela Mosley.
Meanwhile, Chanel Mosley is running for the Black Jack-based 75th District, a seat being vacated by her uncle, state Rep. Alan Gray. Alan Gray is married to the former county councilwoman, Rochelle Walton Gray.
An October lawsuit questioning Chanel Mosley’s residency in the Black Jack district was still pending as of Monday.
Angela and Jay Mosley have also been under scrutiny since the Metropolitan ӣƵ Sewer District sued the couple in October and alleged they owed nearly $1,000 in overdue charges.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated the date Chantelle PAC was formed.
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