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'Black girl magic' in St. Louis elections part of a national trend

More Black women are running for office and winning

ST. LOUIS — "We want to see and we need Black women leading in St. Louis," said Cori Bush the day after she won the Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st Congressional District — upsetting more than 50 years of St. Louis politics.

Straining to be heard over the noise around them, Bush was joined in downtown St. Louis Wednesday by two other Black St. Louis women celebrating victories at the polls the night before.

"As you were throwing stones at these women, the women kept fighting for what they know," Bush said of how they reacted to their opponents and the negative ads they ran. 

READ ALSO: Cori Bush, Kim Gardner, Tishaura Jones hold 'Black girl magic' press conference after historical win in Tuesday's primary

Bush may have the most headlines, beating Rep. Lacy Clay and his family name that has held Missouri's 1st Congressional District since 1969. But all three of these candidates — Bush, city treasurer Tishaura Jones and circuit attorney Kim Gardner — are part of a national trend: more Black women running for and winning elected office.

Credit: KSDK
Kim Gardner, Tishaura Jones and Cori Bush in downtown St. Louis

For example, 122 Black women ran for Congress in this election compared to 48 in 2012, according to 5 On Your Side political analyst Anita Manion. Sixty of those candidates are moving on to the general election.

Manion said there are several factors that could be contributing to this trend. 

"Issues around police brutality and concerns of equity have inspired a lot of Black activists and I think that activism that we saw in Ferguson in 2014 and have seen continue has really turned its face to focus on policy and candidates and elections," said Manion.

"And we're seeing that happen. We're seeing an effectiveness there and it's led to a policy change and now a lot of elected officials," she added.

"For starters, all three of us are single moms. And so we lead from a different place," city treasurer Jones told the crowd of cameras and supporters gathered around her, Bush and Gardner.

"I always say is if you solve the problems of a Black woman, you solve everybody's problem," Jones said.

"It's about people you don't even see, people who just want to be treated with respect, people who just want to note that you give a care about," said Gardner, who believes her candidacy was helped by the high profile criticism she received from President Donald Trump, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, Governor Mike Parson and other Republicans.  

"We are here right now showing all of St. Louis that we're standing together and we're ready to do the work," Bush told the crowd.

    

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