A longtime city council member is entering the race to be the next mayor of Washington.
Steve Sullentrup, 64, announced on Monday his candidacy to succeed retiring Washington Mayor Sandy Lucy, who is not seeking reelection for a fourth term.
Former Washington Mayor Dick Stratman and former Washington School Board member James "Doug" Hagedorn have also announced their intentions to seek the city's top office.
Prospective candidates can’t file for the office until Dec. 7 but will then have until Dec. 28 to file. Per city code, any candidates for mayor must be at least 30 years old and a U.S. citizen and have been a resident of Washington for at least two years prior to the election. The mayor serves a four-year term and receives a $12,000 salary.
A lifelong resident of Washington, Sullentrup said he is ready to take on the challenge of being mayor after serving six terms on the Washington City Council, where he represents the city’s First Ward.
“Washington has come a long way in the past 12 years in terms of growth,” Sullentrup said. “I want that to continue. I want Washington to continue to be a great city to live.”
As a council member, Sullentrup serves on the 353 Redevelopment Corp. and the Highway Transportation, Airport and Public Works committees.
During his tenure on city council, he has helped administer revenues from the half-cent capital improvement sales tax to the new aquatics center, the new firehouse on West Fifth Street, the new tennis courts at Phoenix Park, the Washington Public Library expansion and other projects. He was also on the council during the construction of the new Missouri River bridge and the Rotary Riverfront Trail.
Of all of those projects, Sullentrup said the construction of the Angel of Hope Park has “been dearest to my heart.”
“It’s just very dear to me for all of the families who have lost children in our community,” Sullentrup said.
He also has served on the hiring committees for several city officials, including City Administrator Darren Lamb, Economic Development Director Sal Maniaci and Parks Director Wayne Dunker.
“We, as a city, really need to listen to our department heads,” Sullentrup said. “They are the ones doing the work every day. They are what helps keep our city great.”
Sullentrup said one of the keys to further economic growth in Washington is the development of the 115-acre Oldenburg Industrial Park, which opened in October.
“When you bring more businesses to Washington, that means you have people moving to Washington, and you are going to need more rooftops,” Sullentrup said. “More rooftops means that you have more people working in construction and other industries. It all starts, though, with bringing new businesses into the industrial park.”
Sullentrup also talked about the need for improvements on both Highway 100 and Highway 47.
“I am really excited about the expansion of Highway 47 to St. Clair,” Sullentrup said. “Hopefully all of the cities, including Washington, can do their part to make that happen.”
He said he also would advocate for Highway 100 to be widened to four lanes through Washington, or at least to Vossbrink Drive on the city’s west side.
“It is amazing how a four-lane highway can make a difference, but it can,” Sullentrup said. He said widening the highway would help enhance the city’s industrial parks.
If elected, Sullentrup said he would always remember that "the people are my boss."
"I can only speak for myself, but I think I have done a pretty good job of listening to the people," Sullentrup said. "I would always try to listen to them as mayor."
Sullentrup, the son of Kenneth and Evelyn Sullentrup, is a graduate of St. Francis Borgia and East Central Community College, where he played basketball. He has owned Washington Fence Co. for 37 years and has been a member of the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Elks Lodge and the VFW Post for several years.
“I was one of 12 children, and I can say that my whole family loves Washington,” Sullentrup said. “I drive by the river nearly every day and think about just how lucky we are to call this place home, of what a great city we have.”
He credits much of the city’s virtues to strong leadership in city hall and civic organizations.
“We always try to do the right thing as a city,” Sullentrup said. “I hope to continue that.”
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