Four years ago, Tishaura Jones barely missed in her attempt to become the mayor of St. Louis. Last night, in a special election, Jones broke that ceiling while the city itself struggles to find new footing post the pandemic. In 2017, Jones lost her race by only 900 votes. The 2017 race was a brutal one, where Jones felt, and many agreed, the election turned into a teardown of Jones’ character.
Now, in a special election, after a global pandemic that has left more than 500 St. Louis residents dead, financial damage throughout the metro, and concerns about how to move forward in a new way, Jones picked up the mantle and chose to lead. That effort paid off last night, in a victory that isn’t just a first for Black women but could be an opportunity for the area to begin remaking itself.
In 2017, Jones' race resulted in a back-and-forth, with local papers attacking her for not being humble enough or connecting with voters. Meanwhile, political strategists like Symone Sanders, who since then went on to be part of the successful Biden campaign, summed it up a different way:
“She was clearly the most qualified candidate and the brothers just wouldn’t let her have it,” said Symone D. Sanders, a Democratic strategist. “The brothers did not have the capable, competent and qualified sister’s back.”
Tuesday night that changed and a community has new leadership. This is the first election under St. Louis new voter approval system:
The race was the first under the city's new approval voting system. Voters in the primary were able to pick as many candidates as they liked from a field that included Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed and businessman Andrew Jones.
Tishaura Jones and Spencer advanced as the top two vote getters with Jones selected on 57 percent of ballots and Spencer on 47 percent.
There are opportunities in St. Louis—and a chance for many young voters to see themselves represented take the office.