2021 St. Louis mayoral election

The 2021 St. Louis mayoral election occurred in two stages, with an approval voting primary on March 2, 2021, and a two-candidate general election on April 6, 2021. Incumbent Democratic mayor Lyda Krewson was eligible to seek re-election to a second term in office, but chose to retire. In a primary field of four candidates, St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer advanced to the general election. Jones narrowly defeated Spencer in the general election, becoming the first African-American woman elected to the office of mayor.

Primary election
Because they received the largest number of votes of approval (thus having the highest approval rating as measured by the ballots), Tishuara Jones and Cara Spencer advanced to the general election. Lewis E. Reed (who also preferred the Democratic Party) and Andrew Jones (who preferred the Republican Party) were not allowed to have their name printed on the general election ballot.

Reed has offered his support for an effort to repeal approval voting.

General election
St. Louis held its general election on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, reporting results that evening. The two candidates on the ballot (Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer) had won the primary election a month prior. On April 6, Tishaura Jones defeated Cara Spencer to earn her first term as mayor of St. Louis, winning by over two-thousand votes. This constituted nearly 4% of the people that voted that evening.

Leading up to the early April election, over 20% of voters told pollsters that they were undecided.


 * Show Me Victories - March 4–6, 2021 - 40%/35%/25% (Jones/Spencer/undecided)
 * Show Me Victories - March 25–28, 2021 - 42%/37%/21% (Jones/Spencer/undecided)

Tishaura Jones defeated Cara Spencer by a margin of nearly 4%. Jones' margin of victory largely came from the northern half St. Louis, while Spencer was stronger in the southern half. Jones received her largest margins in wards where Lewis Reed had come second in the primary.