Missouri politics divided by gender

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A man cannot be a woman in Missouri politics.

That’s the essence of a Missouri Supreme Court ruling issued Tuesday that unanimously upheld a state law setting aside separate spots for men and women on political parties’ county committees.

Christian Tompras – a man – had challenged the law as unconstitutionally discriminatory after he was denied the ability to file as a candidate for Chesterfield Township Republican committeewoman.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bernhardt Drumm Jr. ruled against Tompras last month.

The Supreme Court upheld that decision, saying a political party office was not the same as public office. As such, the court said it was not protected by a state constitutional provision stating that “no person shall be disqualified from holding office in this state because of sex.”

An attorney for Tompras said he would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.