Anthony "Ford" Walker (born February 11, 1965) is an American politician, administrator, and sheriff deputy who served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 58th district for a brief period between April 2002 and January 2003.[1]

Anthony "Ford" Walker
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 58th District
In office
March 29, 2002 – January 8, 2003
Preceded byLouis Ford
Succeeded byRodney Hubbard
Personal details
Born
Anthony Walker

(1965-02-11) February 11, 1965 (age 59)
Queens, New York State, United States
Political partyDemocratic
RelationsLouis Ford (step-father)
April Ford-Griffin (sister)
EducationLiverpool, New York High School
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Academy

Early life and career

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Anthony Walker was born February 11, 1965, in Queens, New York and attended Liverpool, New York High School.[2] His mother Ida Ford, married Louis Ford who had represented the 58th district from 1982 until 2002.[1][3] His sister is former St. Louis City Alderman and former DNC delegate April Ford-Griffin.[3]

Prior to his election, Walker was a sheriff's deputy within the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, having graduated from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Academy.[2]

Missouri State House

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March special election

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His stepfather, Louis Ford, resigned from office 9 months in advance in order to bypass term limits and allowed Walker to be elected in a special election.[4] At the Democratic Party's nominating convention, Walker defeated state government employee Rodney Hubbard for the nomination.[4] Walker used his father's last name as a nickname in order to take advantage of voter familiarity.[4] He faced former Democrat and community activist Isaiah Hair Jr. in the general election.[4] Walker won the general election on March 26 with over 75% of the vote.

March 26, 2002 Missouri House of Representatives District 58 special election[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Anthony "Ford" Walker 250 75.76%
Republican Isaiah Hair Jr. 80 24.24%
Total votes 330 100%

Tenure

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Walker was on a total of six committees and sponsored zero bills during his nine-month tenure.[2]

August Democratic Party primary election

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Rodney L. Hubbard was the first individual to consider a potential primary challenge to Walker,[4] and entered the race shortly before the special election.[7] Ford drew a total of two other primary challengers, those being former St. Louis School Board member and perennial candidate Bill Haas, businesswoman and educator Paris Bouchard Relator.[8][9] The St. Louis Post Dispatch endorsed Relator, naming her the "strongest candidate".[8] Isaiah Hair Jr. was again the Republican nominee.[9]

2002 Missouri House of Representatives District 58, Democratic Primary[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rodney Hubbard 1,266 34.83%
Democratic Paris Bouchard Relator 1,226 33.73%
Democratic Anthony "Ford" Walker 784 21.57%
Democratic Bill Haas 359 9.88%
Total votes 3,635 100%

Paris Bouchard Relator unsuccessfully attempted to contest the results, claiming that there were irregularities in the results.[12] She lost the challenge to the results.[12] Hubbard won the general election with 89% of the vote.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Anthony "Ford" Walker". OurCampaigns. 2016-09-26. Archived from the original on 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  2. ^ a b c "Rep. Anthony Walker - 91st General Assembly". Missouri State House. Archived from the original on 2024-09-30.
  3. ^ a b "April Ford Griffen". Social Policy Institute at the Washington University in St. Louis. Archived from the original on 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e Schlinkmann, Mark (2002-02-15). "Ex-lawmaker's stepson faces election challenge". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "State Representative District 58" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. 2002-03-29. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  6. ^ "MO State House 058 - Special Election". OurCampaigns. 2008-08-23. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  7. ^ Schlinkman, Mark (2002-03-25). "Ford family's political power faces challenge in special state house election". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "August Primary for Missouri House". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 2002-07-31. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-10-01 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Area candidates who have filed for Missouri, U.S. House, and Senate offices". St. Louis Dispatch. 2002-03-30. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "August 2002 Primary elections" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. 2002-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  11. ^ "MO State House 058 - D Primary". OurCampaigns. Archived from the original on 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  12. ^ a b "Missouri ex Rel. Bouchard v. Grady, 86 S.W.3d 121". Missouri Court of Appeals. Retrieved 2024-09-30 – via Casetext.