ST. LOUIS — Both candidates for St. Louis mayor — Treasurer Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer — have secured endorsements ahead of the April 6 general election.
Jones was endorsed by the Ethical Society of Police — the St. Louis police union that represents Black officers — while Spencer was endorsed by Ward 22 Alderman Jeffrey Boyd who serves as the chairman of the Black caucus of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
Jones and Spencer, who represents St. Louis' 20th Ward, advanced out of St. Louis' first-ever nonpartisan primary election.
On Saturday, the Ethical Society of Police announced its endorsement.
"ESOP believes Tishaura Jones’ approach for improving public safety is in tune with our beliefs of improving the lives of marginalized people and revitalizing all areas of St. Louis City,” retired St. Louis police Sgt. Heather Taylor, spokeswoman for the ESOP said in a statement.
In an interview with 5 On Your Side Political Editor Casey Nolen, Jones suggested using civilians for certain roles in the police department, in addition to other avenues already being pursued.
"It's not just one solution," she said. "It’s not just Cure Violence, it’s not just focused deterrence, is not just body cameras, it’s how are we combining all of those in addition to making sure that we provide an environment where people can thrive, not just survive."
During Sunday's mayoral debate sponsored by STL-TV, Jones also said she would close the city's Medium Security Institution, commonly know as "The Workhouse," within the first 100 days she's in office.
Late last week, Spencer was endorsed by Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, the chairman of the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Caucus - contrasting the endorsements of at least seven members of that caucus who previously backed Jones.
“As chairman of the Black caucus, I’ve worked with both candidates. I find that Cara Spencer is smart, energetic, transparent and honest,” Boyd said. “She has demonstrated the ability to work well with others by passing meaningful legislation at the Board of Alderman, advancing progressive ideas to fix our broken systems and challenging policies that move us backward.”
In the press release, Boyd — who ran against Jones in the August 2020 primary for St. Louis treasurer — said the city needs "a mayor with the experience and integrity to get started on day one, who will keep her campaign promises and remain transparent and accountable. We can count on Cara.”
Editor's note: A previous version of this story indicated the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Caucus endorsed Spencer. The story has been corrected to clarify the chairman of the Black caucus announced his support for Spencer.
The full endorsements are as follows:
Black Caucus Chair Endorses Spencer for Mayor
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (March 18, 2021) - Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, chairman of the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Caucus, aka the Black Caucus, today announced his endorsement of Cara Spencer for mayor.
“As chairman of the Black Caucus, I’ve worked with both candidates. I find that Cara Spencer is smart, energetic, transparent and honest,” Boyd said. “She has demonstrated the ability to work well with others by passing meaningful legislation at the Board of Alderman, advancing progressive ideas to fix our broken systems and challenging policies that move us backward.”
He continued, “Cara takes her responsibilities as chair of the Health and Human Services Committee very seriously. And through her participation in several other committees at the Board, Cara has demonstrated her intimate knowledge of how city government works. She’s not going to talk about what she wants to do, she’s going to get it done.
“We need a mayor with the experience and integrity to get started on day one, who will keep her campaign promises and remain transparent and accountable. We can count on Cara,” he concluded.
Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones Earns the Endorsement of the Ethical Society of Police
Today, Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones is proud to announce that the Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) have joined #TeamTJ and have endorsed her campaign to be the next Mayor of the City of Saint Louis. ESOP is joining a long list of organized labor, local and national organizations, and individuals spanning every neighborhood of our City who have said YES to Saint Louis’ next and brighter era --one in which the police are not the only answer when you call 9-1-1 and in which we have re-imagined public safety.
The Ethical Society of Police was founded in 1972 to address race-based discrimination within the community and the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department. In this past week, amidst the trial of officers who beat fellow undercover officer Luther Hall, we have seen the necessary and immediate need for urgent reform in our police department and in the City of Saint Louis.
“The St. Louis City Chapter of the Ethical Society of Police proudly endorses Tishaura Jones for Mayor. The St. Louis City Board of ESOP interviewed both candidates for Mayor. ESOP believes Tishaura Jones’ approach for improving public safety is in tune with our beliefs of improving the lives of marginalized people and revitalizing all areas of St. Louis City.” -Retired Sgt. Heather Taylor, Spokesperson Ethical Society of Police
As Mayor, Tishaura looks forward to bringing everyone to the table, ensuring that all parties’ voices are heard, and working to move our city forward. When negotiating their collective bargaining agreement, the Ethical Society must have the power to choose their own representative at the table.
“Earning the endorsement of the Ethical Society of Police is one of the greatest honors of my professional career. I look forward to working towards racial justice and the re-imagining of public safety in the City of Saint Louis.” -Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones
The Treasurer is incredibly grateful for the work that ESOP does and is excited to work with them to make the relationship between the community and the department stronger, increase diversity and equity as cornerstones of our work, and make progress towards a safer Saint Louis.