Smith added that the choice of Democratic leadership in the legislature did not bode well for attracting support in rural areas. Smith said Senate minority leader Ken Jacobs, D-Columbia, and House minority leader Mark Abel, D-Festus, are too liberal to drum up support in rural, conservative areas of the state.
House Democrats say if they retain the majority, the race for speaker will likely be between Festus Rep. Mark Abel, currently speaker pro tem, and St. Louis Rep. Russ Carnahan, son of former Gov. Mel Carnahan.
With all these problems under his belt, Holden has taken new advisors into his office. Lee Kling, a former state highway commissioner, and Mark Abels, longtime spokesman for Trans World Airlines, are offering advice to the governor when he needs it. Nachtigal, the governor's spokesman, said Holden speaks with Kling and Abels when he wants to, and gets help from his advisors on plotting strategy.
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