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ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A Republican candidate for County Council faces opposition from within his own party ahead of an August primary election, setting up a race between a party favorite and an incumbent who’s shown a willingness to cross party lines and vote with County Executive Sam Page.

Councilman Ernie Trakas, of unincorporated South County, is running for his third term representing the 6th District, which includes the southeast portion of the county. But some of his Republican Party colleagues have donated to his opponent, George Michael “Mike� Archer, saying Trakas has supported the Democratic county executive for too long.

“He was generally a rubber stamp for Sam Page,� said Tim Fitch, a former county councilman who worked alongside Trakas for four years. “I don’t think that’s what South County wants.�

Trakas sometimes acts as a swing vote for Page, joining two Democrats on the council who almost always support the county executive. Recently, Trakas supported Page’s bid to move county government out of the aging headquarters in downtown Clayton.

Trakas also supported Page’s administration last month as it sought $1.8 million to enact a senior property tax freeze. Trakas’ Republican colleagues thought that was too much, and the council wound up approving a fraction of the amount county staff said is essential to running the program.

But Trakas, 73, said he’s proud of his ability to reach across the aisle while staying true to his conservative values. The county Republican Central Committee leaders, he said, just want someone they can control.

“I don’t represent them. I represent the citizens of South County,� Trakas said. “The central committee wants a ‘yes’ man, not the best man. The best man already has the job.�

The 6th District stretches along the Mississippi River from the River Des Peres in the north to the Jefferson County border in the south. It includes the unincorporated communities Oakville, Mehlville and Lemay, plus parts of Affton.

Both Republicans and Democrats have represented the district in the past 20 years. Before Trakas, Democrat Steve Stenger represented it until he was elected county executive.

In 2016, the district narrowly flipped Republican in the general election: Trakas won with just 50.8% of the vote against his Democratic opponent. In 2020, he won handily with 53%.

But Trakas has never had an opponent in a Republican primary election. In the Aug. 6 primary, he faces Archer, who has gained support from Republican Party leaders in recent months. In the most recent fundraising period from January through March, Archer raised $8,500.

Fitch, the former councilman, donated $595 to Archer’s campaign; county Republican Party Chair Rene Artman donated $100; and Councilman Dennis Hancock, of Fenton, donated $100, according to campaign finance records for the most recent fundraising period.

Trakas raised nothing in that period. He said fundraising isn’t a focus for him, but he plans to do some fundraising before August.

Hancock said he likes Trakas but is sometimes confused by his votes that align with council Democrats.

“If you consistently want to be left of center, then consistently be left of center and let the voters know that,� Hancock said. “Don’t run as a conservative but then vote as a non-conservative.�

But Trakas has also flexed his conservative views at times during his time on the council. He vehemently opposed Page’s mask and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, he pushed for steep spending reductions to balance the county’s budget. And Trakas, as an attorney, has worked on cases opposing gender-affirming health care for transgender children.

But there are several examples of him differing from his party’s policies, too, which Trakas acknowledges. He thinks it’s a mistake to put more money into updating county’s crumbling headquarters, as Hancock has suggested the county should do. And Trakas has been selective about which developments he approves for his district — he’s known for opposing self-storage facilities and car washes.

“My point is, I’m not going to be told that this is how you’re going to vote or this is the position you’re going to take,� Trakas said. “I have to make the best decision for the next generation, not the next election.�

But his opponent argues it’s time for a change.

Archer, 68, is a private-practice attorney from Oakville. He earned the trust of local prominent Republicans, he said, during the 15 years he served as the county’s assistant prosecuting attorney. He also does some business law, connecting him to companies who haven’t been pleased with Trakas’ approach to development in South County, Archer said.

But it’s Trakas’ support for Page that Archer finds especially problematic.

In 2020, the Post-Dispatch reported that ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County paid $60,000 to Trakas’ former assistant to settle her sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him. At the time, Trakas denied any wrongdoing, and an investigation by the law firm Thompson Coburn “did not substantiate any conductâ€� by Trakas that “violates ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County policy or applicable law.â€�

Archer questioned if that settlement makes Trakas beholden to Page. Trakas said that argument marks “a candidate desperate for an issue.�

“I’m not beholden to anybody but the Lord above,� Trakas said.

Archer said he would work with Page if it helps the 6th District. But he’s not likely to eagerly support the county executive’s policies.

“There are certain things where I will draw the line,� he said.