Tom Villa

Last updated

Thomas Albert Villa (March 16, 1945 - January 20, 2023) was an American Democratic politician from Missouri. He was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and later represented Ward 11, the Carondelet neighborhood and surrounding areas, on the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis.

Villa was educated at St. Mary's High School and Saint Louis University and received a master's degree in education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1971. Before starting his political career, Villa worked as a teacher and guidance counselor.

Villa was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1974. He was re-elected four times and held leadership positions as Majority Whip from 1978 to 1980 and Majority Floor Leader from 1980 to 1984. In 1984 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Missouri State Treasurer.

In 1987, Villa was elected to citywide office as President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. He was reelected to that position in 1991. In 1993 he was a candidate for Mayor of St. Louis but finished second in the Democratic primary behind Freeman Bosley Jr. His term as President of the Board expired in 1995, and Villa did not seek re-election. Villa remained out of public office for several years. In 2000 he was again elected to the Missouri House and was re-elected in 2002 and 2004.

Villa was born and raised in St. Louis and is the son of the late Albert "Red" Villa. The elder Villa was the longest-serving member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

Villa died January 20, 2023. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speaker of the United States House of Representatives</span> Presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives

The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House and is simultaneously its presiding officer, de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head. Speakers also perform various other administrative and procedural functions. Given these several roles and responsibilities, the speaker usually does not personally preside over debates—that duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority party—nor regularly participate in floor debates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Gephardt</span> American attorney, lobbyist and politician (born 1941)

Richard Andrew Gephardt is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as a United States Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995 and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 1988 and 2004. Gephardt was mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee in 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Carnahan</span> Governor of Missouri, 2000 U.S. senator-elect (1934–2000)

Melvin Eugene Carnahan was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A Democrat, he was elected posthumously to the U.S. Senate; his widow, Jean, served in his stead for two years until a special election.

Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. was the 42nd mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, serving three terms from 1981 to 1993. At the time of his first election, he was one of the city's youngest mayors. In 1992, Schoemehl was defeated in the Democratic primary by lieutenant governor Mel Carnahan in a bid to become Governor of Missouri. He is best known as being primarily responsible for the NFL St. Louis Cardinals relocating to Phoenix, Arizona.

Tom Bauer is an American lawyer and politician from St. Louis, Missouri, who served in the Missouri House of Representatives and on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. In 2005 he was recalled from his position as alderman after supporting a controversial redevelopment proposal, using eminent domain to acquire homes to build a gas station. In March 2011, Bauer defeated incumbent 24th Ward alderman Bill Waterhouse in the Democratic primary, but lost to independent candidate Scott Ogilvie in the April general election.

Anthony D. Ribaudo was an American politician from Missouri, of the Democratic Party. Ribaudo was born and raised in St. Louis and attended Washington University. In 1993, Ribaudo was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of St. Louis. He finished third in the Democratic primary election behind Freeman Bosley Jr. and Tom Villa. After narrowly winning his re-election campaign in 1994, Ribaudo did not seek re-election in 1996. In 1976, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives representing the Hill neighborhood. Ribaudo was re-elected nine times and served part of the time as house majority leader. In 1989 he challenged Bob F. Griffin for Speaker of the House. After losing Griffin assigned him to a windowless office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Rothman</span> American politician and lawyer (1935–2019)

Kenneth Joel Rothman was an American lawyer and politician from Missouri. He served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Missouri from 1981 to 1985.

Thomas E. Zych is a Democratic politician from St. Louis, Missouri. Zych formerly served in the Missouri House of Representatives and later as President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Kennedy (politician)</span> American politician

Harry Kennedy is an American Democratic politician, who has been a member of the Missouri Senate and Missouri House of Representatives. He is currently a staffer for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and a Democratic Committeeman for St. Louis' 14th Ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Board of Aldermen</span> City legislative

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen is the lawmaking body of St. Louis, an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It consists of 28 alderpersons who are each elected from one of the city's wards. The President of the Board of Aldermen is a separate position that is elected citywide, has the same voting power as the alderpersons, and serves as the body's presiding officer.

Theodore Hoskins, also referred to as Ted Hoskins, is an American politician with the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and has been mayor of Berkeley, Missouri since his election in 2012. Hoskins was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Berkeley, Missouri. He served in the United States Air Force from 1956 to 1961, and left with an honorable discharge. He received education in business administration at Florissant Valley Community College, where he obtained an associate's degree, and at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is married with three children, and resides in Berkeley, Missouri. Hoskins has worked in a financial capacity with Bi-State Development Agency, and is owner and CEO of T & L Automated Accounting Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tishaura Jones</span> Mayor of St. Louis

Tishaura Oneda Jones is an American politician who has served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri since April 2021. A member of the Missouri Democratic Party, Jones served from 2008 to 2013 in the Missouri House of Representatives; and as Treasurer of the City of St. Louis from 2013 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamilah Nasheed</span> American politician

Jamilah Nasheed is an American politician from the state of Missouri. Nasheed formerly represented the fifth district in the Missouri Senate, and formerly served in the Missouri House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Joe Adams is an American politician. succeeding Rory Ellinger, as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, from 2015 to 2019. He was succeeded by Maria Chappelle-Nadal for one term, then after she stepped down, was elected again to his old seat in 2020, taking office in 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Collins-Muhammad</span> American activist and politician

John Collins-Muhammad, Jr., is an American activist and politician from the state of Missouri. He served on the Board of Alderman of the City of St. Louis representing the 21st Ward where he represented portions of North City. Collins-Muhammad was elected to his first term in April 2017 at the age of 25, which makes him the youngest person ever to be elected and the first Muslim ever elected to the St. Louis Board of Alderman. He was re-elected in April 2021 garnishing nearly 60% of the vote in his ward. He resigned in May 2022 after pleading guilty to federal corruption and bribery charges. Although he is a member of the Democratic Party, he was a frequent critic of the party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 St. Louis mayoral election</span> 2021 voting for St. Louis, Missouri mayor

The 2021 St. Louis mayoral election occurred in two stages, with a unified primary on March 2, 2021, and a two-candidate general election on April 6, 2021. Incumbent Democratic mayor Lyda Krewson was eligible to seek re-election to a second term in office, but chose to retire.

Marlene Yvonne Terry is an American politician serving as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 66th district. Elected in November 2020, she assumed office on January 5, 2020.

Michael Person is an American politician who served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 74th district. Elected in November 2019, he assumed office in January 2020. After winning a full term in November 2020, redistricting of 2022 placed his home in district 73, with fellow incumbent Raychel Proudie, and Person lost the next primary to Proudie. As such, his tenure in the House ended in January 2023.

Megan Ellyia Green is an American politician and educator from St. Louis, Missouri. She has served as the President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen since 2022, having previously been the alderwoman from the 15th ward since 2014. Green is a progressive Democrat and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The 2023 St. Louis, Missouri elections with be held on April 4, 2023, with nonpartisan blanket approval voting primaries held on March 7, 2023. All 14 members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and the chief legislator President of the Board of Aldermen will be elected. These will be the first elections held after Proporition R (2012) came into effect, reducing the number of alderpersons from 28 to 14.

References

  1. "Tom Villa, longtime St. Louis politician, is dead at 77" . Retrieved 21 January 2023.

Villa's biography from the Missouri House of Representatives

Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for State Treasurer of Missouri
1984
Succeeded by
Preceded by President St. Louis Board of Aldermen
19871995
Succeeded by