Walsh this week said that she had been officially endorsed by St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, . She also received backing from St. Louis County Councilman Mike O’Mara (D-Florissant), Councilwoman Kathleen Burkett (D-Overland) and Councilman Pat Dolan (D-Richmond Heights).
Walsh was also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents thousands of police officers across the state.
“As the largest law enforcement organization in Missouri, representing over 5,000 sworn law enforcement officers, the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police is proud to support and endorse the 2012 election of Gina Walsh to the 13th District, Missouri State Senate,” said Kevin W. Ahlbrand, President of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, in a statement. “Gina understands the issues surrounding public safety and the problems faced daily by line officers. She is a leader of integrity, character, and courage. Gina understands the importance of promoting effective public safety solutions in Missouri.”
Walsh is squaring off against Florissant resident Redditt Hudson in the Democratic primary. Hudson, who works for the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, has only $1,864.04 of cash on hand. That’s a far cry from the roughly $127,062.10 that Walsh has in the bank.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Jacquelyn Thomas, a Florissant resident. The 13th District leans Democratic, meaning that the winner of the primary fight between Walsh and Hudson has a good chance of winning in November.
In Missouri, one of the only means of "job creation" we have is the use of tax credits. What are you thoughts on these tax breaks, and do you have any ideas other than tax credits for creating jobs in Missouri? As you know in Missouri we are required by the State Constitution to balance our budget. From your website and your response it doesn't appear you intend to cut social programs, or funding for education. What then would you cut out of the Missouri budget? Do you support raising taxes to balance the budget? When do you believe that life begins and should receive legal protection under Missouri law? It seems that good options with private insurance are becoming more and more scarce. What would you do as a legislator to help control rising health care costs in our state?