Missouri Fire Fighters Help Elect City Councilmen

May 1, 2009 – Both Springfield, Missouri City Council candidates endorsed by Springfield Local 152 won their seats in an April 7 election. John Rush earned 51 percent of the votes, defeating his competition, Fred Ellison, and Bob Stephens came away with 52 percent of the votes, beating Tom Martz.

“Rush and Stephens both expressed a commitment to public safety and a willingness to listen to any of our concerns with an open mind,” says Tony Kelley, president of Local 152. “We were happy to throw our support behind these two candidates and look forward to working with them in the future.”

Local 152 used several campaign strategies to help elect the two fire fighter-friendly candidates, including radio ads, yard signs, door-to-door visits and mailers.

The Springfield fire fighters has maintained a high-level of political action since Local 152 played a significant role in helping pass legislation requiring the state to fund the pension system four years ago.