David Kemna believes this is his year to run for the Jefferson City Council and, specifically, the First Ward seat now occupied by two-term incumbent Jim Branch. Kemna filed for the office Wednesday, a day after Branch.
"I've been about relationship-building most of my life, even in my job now. I want to take this city-wide. Running for council has nothing to do with Jim Branch," Kemna said Thursday. "I actually talked with him yesterday. He sold my mom a car. I just felt it was time for me to step forward. I didn't want to wait for Jim or (Rick) Prather to finish out their years of eligibility on the council before they're termed out."
Kemna is an assistant manager and relationship banking specialist at Central Bank in downtown Jefferson City. Previously, he was a civics teacher and football and girls basketball coach at Helias Catholic High School and did a stint at the YMCA. As a civic activist, Kemna has associated himself with the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Central Missouri and Boys & Girls Club of the Capital City.
The new candidate said he has lived in the First Ward most of his life, now in an apartment on East Capitol Avenue. He said he lives a stone's throw from the historic Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP), the continued development of which is one of the issues he cites in his motivations for seeking the council slot. Advised of the 25 percent growth in MSP tourism in 2016, Kemna said he would promote enhanced use of the prison grounds and an expansion of activities at the prison.
"We need to work harder to redevelop the historic sections around the MSP to attract young professionals like myself to live there and business owners to invest there," Kemna said.
Kemna noted he has benefited from personal contact with
numerous local politicians, including Gov. Jay Nixon and former Gov. Bob Holden. Both visited his civics classes at Helias to address his students. His primary inspirations for government service, however, came from state Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, and the late Carl Vogel, Kehoe's predecessor in the Senate.