Bill Otto (born January 1, 1956) is a former Democratic[1] member of the Missouri House of Representatives, representing District 70.[2] He is a Navy veteran and retired air traffic controller. In 2016, Otto choose to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat rather than run for re-election on the state level. He ran a campaign with no primary opposition for the 2nd District Congressional seat and lost to Rep. Ann Wagner. In March 2017, Bill Otto was hired as the executive director of the St. Charles County Democratic Central Committee.[3] In February 2018, Otto announced his run for the Missouri House District 65, located in St. Charles County; he lost to incumbent Tom Hannegan by less than two percent in November.[4][5]
Bill Otto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 70th district | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2017 | |
| Succeeded by | Mark Matthiesen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1956 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kathy |
| Children | 6 |
| Residence(s) | Maryland Heights, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation | Air Traffic Controller (retired) |
| Website | billotto.org |
Personal
editOtto was born on January 1, 1956. At age 15 his mother died, and he was sent to a boys home. Otto was provided food and shelter until he was 17, when state law forced him to leave.[6]
Otto went on to earn his GED, and attended Meramec Community College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He was in the United States Navy from 1976 to 1983 and served in VAQ-136 Prowler Squadron at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.[7]
After his service in the U.S. Navy, Otto worked as an air traffic controller for 31 years. He is a founding member of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and served as a leader in the St. Louis area and later as president at the national level.[8] Otto retired after 31 years as an air traffic controller.
He and his wife Kathy have been married for over 20 years and raised two sons and three daughters in Bridgeton, Missouri.
Political career
editFrom 1989 to 1995, Otto served on the Bridgeton City Council and worked on numerous candidates' campaigns. In 2012 he was elected to his first term in the Missouri House and was a leader in the efforts to end lobbyist gifts. He accepted zero dollars or gifts in all four of the years he served.[9]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Otto | 5,309 | 50.7% | ||
| Republican | Joe Corica | 5,155 | 49.3% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Otto | 9,254 | 52% | ||
| Republican | Eugene Dokes | 8,537 | 48% | ||
In his 2016 Congressional race against U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, Otto raised more than $400,000.[10] After a campaign with no primary opposition, Otto lost his bid for the 2nd District Congressional seat to Representative Ann Wagner.[11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ann Wagner | 241,954 | 58.54 | |
| Democratic | Bill Otto | 155,689 | 37.67 | |
| Libertarian | Jim Higgins | 11,758 | 2.84 | |
| Green | David Justus Arnold | 3,895 | .94 | |
In February 2018, Otto announced his run for Missouri House district 65. In the November general election, he lost to incumbent Republican Tom Hannegan by less than two percent of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Hannegan | 8,288 | 50.97% | −3.17 | |
| Democratic | Bill Otto | 7,973 | 49.03% | +6.21 | |
Committee membership
edit- Consumer Affairs
- Veterans
- Banking
- Insurance
References
edit- ^ "Bill Otto". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ "Rep. Otto". Missouri House of Representatives. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Bill Otto hired as new executive director of St. Charles County Democratic Central Committee". The Missouri Times. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ Peters, Benjamin (12 Feb 2018). "Otto looking to rejoin House in new district". The Missouri Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "State of Missouri - General Election, November 06, 2018". Missouri Secretary of State. November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- ^ "Missouri Rep. Bill Otto plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in 2016". St. Louis Public Radio. 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Rep. Bill Otto announces run for Congress". KSDK. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Otto, Bill". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Bill Otto hired as new executive director of St. Charles County Democratic Central Committee". The Missouri Times. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ "Politically Speaking: state Rep. Otto expounds upon his 2nd Congressional District bid". St. Louis Public Radio. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ "Bill Otto hired as new executive director of St. Charles County Democratic Central Committee". The Missouri Times. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ "Missouri Election Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 1, 2018.