Geiger Wins Mayoral Race

A current city councilman will be the next mayor of Chesterfield.

captured approximately . His closest competitor, Dan Hurt, received 3,075 votes. Geiger will serve the two-year unexpired term which remains after former mayor John Nations stepped down to become the head of Metro.

Geiger, 69, has said before that he wants to build on the city’s recent success and establish Chesterfield as the cultural center of West County in the years to come. He has served as a Ward 2 city councilman for 10 years. Geiger's now empty seat will be filled by an appointment.

“We have so much going on now,” Geiger said of several upcoming city projects. The opening of , the completion of the Riparian Trail, the new fields at the and the upcoming dog park at Eberwein Park are just a few examples, he said. “It’s an exciting time.”

“At this point, I’m glad it’s over,” he said at a gathering of his supporters Tuesday night at . “I’m ready to get started.”

Geiger said he spent the day at the polls, speaking to voters as they headed in to cast their ballots. He started the day at , but that wasn’t very fruitful, he said. When he left at 8 a.m., there had been just 14 voters. He went on to visit about 20 different polls.

“I shook (the voters’) hands, gave them a flier and wrestled them to the ground,” he said jokingly, adding that it was an extremely positive experience. “People were surprised to find the actual candidate and were pleased to see me take the time to work the polls,” he said.

Geiger said he had about 150 “phenomenal” people helping his campaign in some way. He said he was grateful for his wife, Lynne’s, help. The couple walked door-to-door together for about two months, he said.

“She was such a trouper. We walked through hot weather, cold weather, even snow…and she was there. She got as many votes for me as I got for myself,” he said.

Nations attended Geiger’s watch party and announced the latest results several times to the crowd, which reached about 50 people at one point.

Nations said he supported Geiger because he wants to continue to live in the best community in the country, and he felt confident Geiger would keep Chesterfield that way.

“He’s maybe the best financial mind the council has ever had,” Nations said. Nations also said Geiger is a consensus builder.

“He’s earned the respect (of the council),” Nations said. “When he talks, they listen. They trust his leadership and judgment.” Nations said he thought that even though Geiger has represented Ward 2 for 10 years, he’s always had the whole of the community in mind. 

Geiger said he wasn’t sure yet what it would feel like to wake up as the mayor of Chesterfield. But Nations had some advice. 

“Anybody who gets the privilege of serving as mayor will need to work extremely hard and understand the hopes, dreams and concerns of the residents,” Nations said, adding that the mayor will need to push the city to reach its “tremendous potential” while also solving the challenges the city faces.

Hurt, who campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility and his 20-year experience serving on city council, said he respected the voters’ choice.

“I thank the voters who came out to vote and appreciate that they exercised their freedom to vote,” he said. “The freedom to vote is what our country is founded on, and I hope they continue to participate.” 

Hurt said he would focus on his career as a U.S. manufacturer. He owns two businesses, St. Louis Pneumatic and Stoner Machining. He said it was too soon to comment on whether he will run for public office again.

Geiger’s night wasn’t quite over when the final unofficial results came in from the St. Louis County Board of Elections. There was still one race he was waiting to hear about. His son-in-law was running for school board in Parkville, MO, and the two have kept up with each other’s campaigns.

“I’m sure we’ll be calling each other sometime tonight. Hopefully we’ll have two victories,” Geiger said.

Final results: