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[Updated] Jones attempts to join Reed, Spencer in race for mayor

Jim Merkel
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[Updated] Jones attempts to join Reed, Spencer in race for mayor

UPDATE on December 3, 2020: Jones turned in petitions for mayor on Monday but didn’t have enough signatures to become a candidate, said Gary Stoff, Republican director of the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.

In this Nov 23 tweet, Jones stated she “absolutely” had the required number of signatures. That was not true.
The election board accepted 896 signatures, 274 short of the 1,170 needed. A total of 189 names were rejected. Of those, 140 persons were not registered, 25 names were crossed out, 22 signatures did not match the signature in the database, one signature appeared twice and one name appeared without a signature.

Jones still has time to get the needed signatures before filing closes.

The signature requirement is new, part of changes made to local elections by Proposition D that was approved by voters in August. Jones was a vocal supporter of Prop D and now has become its first victim.

Previous November 30, 2020 story below…

ST. LOUIS – The city got a third candidate for mayor on Monday, when City Treasurer Tishaura Jones filed a petition to run in the March primary election.

Jones follows Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, who is running a third time for mayor, and 20th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer filing for office.

 

Tishaura Jones files Monday, Nov. 30, as a candidate for the 2021 mayoral election.
Jones narrowly lost the 2017 Democratic primary for mayor to Lyda Krewson, who went on to be elected mayor in that year’s general election. Krewson is not running for re-election. “The race has just begun, but we are confident that this campaign will bring together the broadest and most diverse coalition of voters,”  Jones said in a tweet.

The local elections in March and April 2021 will be the first of the new system approved by voters under Proposition D in the Nov. 3 elections.

Under the new “approval voting” method, those running for mayor, board of aldermen president, comptroller and aldermen will no longer run under a party, but as nonpartisan candidates. People can vote for as many candidates as they like in the initial round, and the top two will advance to a runoff in the April election. 

Proponents say that eliminates the possibility that the final winner of the March Democratic primary will get much less than a majority. Without any Republican opposition, winners of the March primaries traditionally easily win in the April general election.

Under a city ordinance, citywide nonpartisan candidates had to collect signatures equal to at least 2 percent of the vote for mayor in the last election, or 1,170 votes.

Both Reed and Spencer issued statements marking the start of the race on Nov. 23.

Lewis Reed, president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, files as a candidate for mayor on Nov. 23, 2020.
“I know what it’s going to take to turn our city around and address the issues,” Reed said. “As your next mayor, it’s going to be made clear that the buck will stop at my desk, as it relates to anything, any of the many issues that our city is faced with, especially the issues of public safety. Families will be able to raise kids and live in our cities without  worrying about the continuing escalation of crime,” Reed wrote.

Cara Spencer, 20th Ward Alderman, files Nov. 23, 2020, as a candidate for mayor of St. Louis.
Spencer, meanwhile, wrote “WE DID IT” in a post on her website.“Thanks to the TONS on people who came out and brought in 4, 5, 10, 30 signatures. We couldn’t have done this without you. And thanks to our great team – we greatly exceeded our goal,” Spencer wrote. “It’s official. We’re in.” 

Krewson, who was elected mayor in 2017, announced this month that she wasn’t running for re-election.

Longtime Comptroller Darlene Green also filed for re-election.

Those filing for aldermen were:

  • Ward 3, Herdosia K. Bentum
  • Ward 4, incumbent Dwinderlin Evans
  • Ward 5, James A. Page Jr. and incumbent Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard
  • Ward 7, Shedrick R. Kelley
  • Ward 9, incumbent Daniel R. Guenther
  • Ward 11, incumbent Sarah W. Martin
  • Ward 12, incumbent Vicky L. Grass and William Z. Stephens.
  • Ward 13, incumbent Elizabeth (Beth) M. Murphy; and Anne M. Schweitzer
  • Ward 15 incumbent Megan Ellyia Green
  • Ward 19, incumbent Marlene E. Davis and Cleo Willis Sr.
  • Ward 21, Barbara A. Lane, Tisharwa Z. Masimba, incumbent John M. Collins-Muhammad, Tavon T. Brooks and Melinda L. Long.
  • Ward 23, incumbent Joseph A. Vaccaro Jr. 
  • Ward 25, incumbent Shane P. Cohn
  • Ward 27, incumbent Pamela R. Boyd

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Jim Merkel
southsidemerkel@gmail.com Born and raised in St. Louis, Jim Merkel covered communities throughout the area from 1991 to 2013 for the old Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. He is the author of four books about the Gateway City published by Reedy Press. He and his wife, Lorraine, live in the Bevo Mill neighborhood of south St. Louis. For more about Jim, visit www.jimmerkelthewriter.com.

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