ST. LOUIS—The recent defeat of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, the city’s first Black woman mayor, was another revealing blow in electoral politics. Cara Spencer, alderwoman of the 8th Ward, who is White, defeated the incumbent in a race marred by low voter turnout.
April 8, 2025, wasn’t just an election day in St. Louis, it was a reckoning.
In a city long shaped by racial and political fault lines, this mayoral election marked yet another historic moment, and another concerning pattern. Mayor Jones’ tenure, though groundbreaking, now joins a troubling tradition of past Black mayors in St. Louis. The city has had Black mayors, but none were ever voted in for a second term.
This political reality opens the door to a larger conversation. One about race, power, expectations, and the challenges Black leaders face in maintaining political longevity in a deeply divided city.
Tishaura Jones broke barriers in 2021, just like Freeman Bosley Jr. did in 1993 when he became the first Black mayor in St. Louis history. But the pattern remains: One term and done.
When Black political leaders ascend, expectations are often higher, scrutiny is sharper, and the political love affair is shorter. Their wins are rarely enough. Their mistakes and shortcomings are magnified.
“Our leadership is poor-minded. They have not taken the principle of Kwanzaa (of) collective work and responsibility seriously. We have a talent deficiency here in St. Louis. As a sports analogy, we are in the NBA but playing in the G-League,” said Attorney Jeryl Christmas, a local community activist.
Mayor Jones wasn’t perfect. No mayor is. But perfection has never been the standard for non-Black mayors, local observers noted. Not only was voter turnout low but Alderwoman Spencer won by a significant margin. Many of Mayor Jones’ supporters who helped get her elected in 2021 were not as enthusiastic during her re-election.
According to the U.S. Census, as of 2023, the population of St. Louis was 281,754, with Whites making up 45.7% and Blacks 43.1%.
“The voter turnout was low, like 20%, and it’s time to do better. But I also know the things that we are facing that contributed to voter suppression. Like the systems that make us feel like our voices don’t matter, but it does,” said Koran Bolden, an author and motivational speaker.
Mayor Jones won in five of the city’s 14 wards, all of which have majority-Black populations.
Alderwoman Spencer won the election overall, defeating Mayor Jones, with approximately 64% of the vote compared to the incumbent’s 36%. Spencer also did well in two of the majority-Black wards.
Alderwoman Spencer’s landslide of 28 percentage points was the widest win margin since the 2009 Mayoral race with Francis Slay who is White and defeated Irene Smith, a Black woman and former alderwoman. Slay served as mayor for four terms.
Rebecca McCloud, who also lost her bid in the 11th Ward aldermanic race on April 8, shared what she deemed a factor with some Black people in St. Louis. “We as a people are always looking for someone to rescue us.
Tishaura was not our savior. But, she did work to make our community safer and better, like the “Show Me Peace” program that helped decrease violence in the streets. Also, she played a major role in getting hundreds of million-dollar settlements for St. Louis.
One of the settlements was the Rams’ $790 Million settlement, of which $294 million is for the city of St. Louis and is being held in an interest-bearing account until the funds can be disbursed,” said Ms. McCloud.
At her watch party, Mayor Jones walked around the nearly empty Omega Hall, greeting her supporters, family, and friends. When she mounted the stage to give her concession speech, the people cheered, whistled, and gave her a standing ovation. Mayor Jones wasted no time reminding her constituents of what she set into motion for the next administration that can benefit the people of St. Louis.
“Our campaign reached out our hands and hearts to over a hundred thousand voters … . This campaign was powered by the people, and I ran to continue the incredible work we have done over the past four years. My opponent will inherit a city that is safer than it’s been in decades,” she said.
Mayor Jones also touted some of the projects the new administration will inherit that were initiated under her watch, including projects to help alleviate homelessness, job training, financial access, and initiatives “to fix our streets and tear down vacant buildings.”
Troy Wilkinson, a financial tech manager, said he felt Mayor Jones was “a strong mayor,” and is taking a wait-and-see approach with Mayor-elect Spencer. Though he is not a St. Louis resident, he said he had an opportunity to see both women function in their respective roles.
“(Mayor-elect) Spencer spoke on the things she did as an alderwoman. However, when I was in those meetings (about) mayoral reform, it seemed like the things that Cara touted, were the things that Tishaura actually got done or moved the needle on,” he said.
“Based on the mayoral reforms that I’ve been a part of at these neighborhood community meetings, how she showed up in public, the initiatives she spoke to, I feel we lost someone who was very committed to St. Louis and who was bringing innovation.
She had a young team who supported her to lead the city. I thought that energy was welcomed, and I think it will be missed,” said Mr. Wilkinson.
Mayor-elect Spencer will be sworn in on April 15.
