St. Louis voters will narrow the field of mayoral candidates from four to two on March 2.
Lewis Reed, Cara Spencer, Tishaura Jones and Andrew Jones are all vying for the city’s top job.
The primary election will be the city’s first since the passage of Proposition D, which allows residents to vote for as many candidates as they want to. The top two vote getters advance to a runoff election April 6.
Residents will also vote for aldermen for odd-numbered wards and city comptroller, for which incumbent Darlene Green is unopposed.
St. Louis Public Radio partnered with 5 On Your Side and Nine PBS to host a debate among the four mayoral candidates on Tuesday.
Watch the 2021 mayoral primary debate here on Feb. 23:
Learn more about the 2021 mayoral candidates
All four candidates were interviewed on both St. Louis Public Radio’s Politically Speaking podcast and St. Louis on the Air. Candidates are listed in the order that they appear on the March ballot.
Lewis Reed
Lewis Reed is president of the Board of Aldermen, an office he has held since 2007. He first entered City Hall in 1999 as the 6th Ward alderman. This is his third campaign for mayor. Reed lives in the Compton Heights neighborhood.
- Politically Speaking: Lewis Reed On Getting St. Louis Out Of Its ‘Eeyore’ Mindset
- St. Louis on the Air: For Lewis Reed, Mayor’s Job Would Allow ‘Implementation’ Of Priorities At Long Last
Cara Spencer
Cara Spencer is the alderwoman from the 20th Ward, which she’s represented since 2015. Before entering politics, she did mathematical modeling for a local health care consulting company. This is Spencer’s first campaign for mayor. She lives in the Marine Villa neighborhood.
- Politically Speaking: Cara Spencer On ‘The Endless Potential’ Of St. Louis
- St. Louis on the Air: As Mayor, Cara Spencer Would Use ‘Focused Deterrence’ To Fight Crime
Tishaura Jones
Tishaura Jones has served as the city’s treasurer since 2013. Prior to her election to that post, she spent four years in the Missouri House of Representatives. She has also worked in the health care and finance industries. This is her second bid for mayor. Jones lives in the West End neighborhood.
- Politically Speaking: Tishaura Jones On Reviving The Reputation Of St. Louis
- St. Louis on the Air: As Mayor, Tishaura Jones Would ‘Reenvision’ Public Safety — And Maybe Cut Police Overtime
Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones is an executive at Southwestern Electric Cooperative and a 40-year veteran of the electric utility industry. This is his second campaign for mayor. Jones won the Republican primary for mayor in 2017 but lost in the general election to Democrat Lyda Krewson. He lives in the Botanical Heights neighborhood.
- Politically Speaking: Andrew Jones On Pulling St. Louis Back From ‘A Point Of No Return’
- St. Louis on the Air: As Mayor, Andrew Jones Would Have The Police Department’s Back