Dems to choose candidate March 6, one shows interest in the seat

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The 151st Democratic Legislative Committee didn't choose its candidate Thursday evening, but they did set into motion a plan to make the selection.

Frances Moore, who chairs the committee, handed the meeting over to Democratic Central Committee Chairman Mike Moroni to explain what was expected by the state party in the election process.

"You don't have to select a candidate within the two-week period, you only need to call the selection meeting," Moroni said. "The meeting itself can take place later if need be."

He went on to say there were a couple of things that must happen prior to the meeting.

First, letters must be mailed to each Democratic committee member in the 151st legislative district, of which there are 15. Two members are selected from each township that is within the district.

Currently, the board is short a couple of members, Moore said.

Second, a quorum must be present to have a vote. That means at least eight board members must be on hand for the candidate selection.

While there was no intention to vote Thursday, as their Republican counterparts did on Tuesday, one potential candidate did attend the meeting and express an interest in the seat.

Brandon Cooper, an attorney in Jim Tweedy's firm at Bloomfield, said he's always had an interest in politics, and thought this may be the right opportunity.

Cooper's family is from the Advance and Bell City area, but he currently lives in Dexter.

"I've been very fortunate to be surrounded by good people here," Cooper said. "I think working as an attorney and my experience with the law will give me a bit of an advantage if elected because I understand how the law works."

Cooper said he is still making his final decision regarding his intent to run for the seat, and is grateful that he has a couple of weeks prior to the vote to reach a well-thought out conclusion.

"If I do this, I'm going to go all in," he said. "From what you've said, it's been almost 20 years since a Democratic candidate held this seat, so I want to be prepared to give it my all."

After graduating from high school, Cooper attended Murray State University where he played baseball, before eventually transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Following college, Cooper entered law school in Oklahoma City.

After working in Oklahoma for some time, he chose to return to Stoddard County.

"I've still got a lot to learn, but I've also got a lot to offer," Cooper told the Committee. "If selected, I'll work hard to return a Democrat to the 151st legislative district."

Moroni said he feels that for the first time in years, this is a seat that may be winnable by the Democratic Party.

"I think the district is now more favorable to a democrat than it was," Moroni said. "With the portion of Scott County rather than Cape Girardeau County included, that certainly seems to be the case."

He explained that while the last election cycle was as bad as it could have been for democratic candidates, Moroni believes that had Boyce Wooley's first campaign in 2004 been run under the current district boundaries, it's possible he could have won the seat.

Chairman Moore also stated that she was optimistic about the future for the Democratic Party in Stoddard County.

"I think this is the first year we've had a chance in a very long time," Moore said.

The committee voted to host its candidate selection meeting on Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. in the Stoddard County Justice Center. All interested candidates are encouraged to attend.

Candidates must be 24 years of age, have been a Missouri voter for at least two years and a resident of the district for at least one year. Moroni explained that a candidate may technically live just outside of the border, so long as they live within a township that is at least partially within the 151st legislative district.

For more information on the seat, contact Moroni at 568-2132 or Moore at 568-3419.

cnoles@dailystatesman.com