This Just In: St. Louis City General Election Results
April 8, 2021In St. Louis City’s general election held on April 6, 2021, the Mayor, Comptroller, Aldermen of the odd-numbered Wards, and the Aldermen of Wards 4 and 12 were elected (for a discussion of the candidates, see our January alert). Additionally, three St. Louis School Board members were elected, and all seven Propositions were passed. This was the first general election following the primary election held March 2, 2021, which used approval voting for the first time. There was roughly a 29% turnout for the general election, which was about 7% more than the turnout for the primary election. The elections produced a new Mayor for the City of St. Louis and new Aldermen for the four Wards.
Current Treasurer of St. Louis City, Tishaura Jones, won the mayoral election with approximately 52% of the vote, fending off Cara Spencer, current Alderwoman of the 20th Ward. Mayor-Elect Jones will be sworn in April 20, 2021. In her first 100 days, she is promising to close the north St. Louis jail known as the Workhouse and to address the ongoing problems at the downtown jail. Mayor-Elect Jones stated that she will work with the Board of Aldermen and the St. Louis City’s budget office to spend nearly $500 million in federal coronavirus relief. The Mayor-Elect also named her transition committee. The transition committee consists of: Les Bond, Jared Boyd, Rodney Boyd, Patrick R. Brown, Nancy E. Cross, Nahuel Fefer, Bob Fox, Sandra M. Moore, Rosetta Okohson-Reb, Kayla M. Reed, Blake Strode, and Mike Talboy.
Comptroller Darlene Green ran unopposed and was re-elected as Comptroller for St. Louis City. Green has held the office since 1995.
Incumbents Sharon Tyus (Ward 1), Brandon Bosley (Ward 3), Dwin Evans (Ward 4), Jack Coatar (Ward 7), Dan Guenther (Ward 9), Megan Ellyia Green (Ward 15), Marlene E. Davis (Ward 19), John Collins-Muhammad (Ward 21), and Pamela Boyd (Ward 27) outlasted their opponents to maintain their current positions as Aldermen. Incumbents Sarah Wood Martin (Ward 11), Joseph Vaccaro (Ward 23), and Shane Cohn (Ward 25) were unopposed. James Page (Ward 5) won with roughly 52% of the vote over the incumbent, Tammika Hubbard after finishing second in the primary election.
With the help of a progressive-backed campaign known as “flip the board,” Tina “Sweet T” Pihl (Ward 17), Bill Stephens (Ward 12), and Anne Schweitzer (Ward 13) won their seats. The campaign focus was to elect enough Aldermen for a progressive majority at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. Pihl, who finished behind Michelle Sherod in the primary election, won the general election by only 20 votes. Bill Stephens (Ward 12) came away victorious with approximately 52% of the vote against incumbent Vicky Grass. In the primary election, Stephens finished behind Grass and only 50 votes ahead of the third challenger, Joe Rusch. Lastly, Anne Schweitzer (Ward 13) won the primary election against the incumbent, Beth Murphy, and then won the general election after receiving 63% of the vote.
Additionally, three members of the St. Louis School Board were elected. Antionette “Toni” Cousins (12%) and Matt Davis (11.6%) were elected for the first time and incumbent, Natalie Vowell (15.8%) was elected for another term. Seven propositions were passed in this election, including the Metro District Proposition 1 through 5, Metro District Proposition Y, and St. Louis Proposition E. The approval of the St. Louis Proposition E keeps the City of St. Louis’ 1% earnings tax for another five years. The Proposition is required to be considered by voters every five years. Mayor Lyda Krewson and Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly formed a committee known as “Yes on Prop E” and contributed $25,000 from their campaign accounts to help aid the passage of the Proposition.
A copy of the unofficial election results from the St. Louis City is available here. Lewis Rice’s Government Solutions & Administrative Law attorneys work with a wide range of elected and appointed decision-makers as they navigate major policy issues. We regularly represent clients’ interests before executive departments, legislative committees, administrative agencies, and local government bodies. If you have questions about the general election or other concerns, please contact an author above.