ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The St. Louis Mayoral race could set for another battle between incumbent Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer after Spencer announced Thursday she is again running for St. Louis Mayor for the second consecutive Mayoral Election in 2025.
"The city is at a crossroads here as we are seeing population loss that is happening at a unprecedented rate, our budget as we are contemplating it right now does not fully staff our Refuse Department and with population loss we are seeing right now, we're not going to be able to do the basic job of a city government," said Spencer Thursday on The Chris and Amy Show. "We got to change course or this isn't going to work."
Jones and Spencer fought in a highly contested battle back in 2021, with Jones edging out Spencer by only 2,304 votes in the general election. But with the next election still a year away, does she still have a chance to defeat Jones? Michael Kelley and John Hancock both think there's a possibility when they discussed it with Chris Rongey and Amy Marxkors on the Chris and Amy Show.
"I think Cara (Spencer), who has very similar political beliefs system as the Mayor, is going to try and cut out this territory of law and order and being basic government services," said Kelley, a longtime Democratic strategist. "Whether that brings people to the polls, I don't know, but what seems to get the attention of the Board Of Aldermen these days is these global national issues and if the race is fought over basic government services and focused on the city of St. Louis, I think Cara Spencer has a compelling case to make."
Kelley however notes a big key for Spencer to defeat Jones will need to be her ability to get her supporters to polls, especially when the Mayor Election is not until March 2025 and it will be right after 2024 November elections, which is headlined by a battle between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
"When we think about the election for Mayor in the city of St. Louis, remember we will be going to have this election through November, so people will be exhausted with politics," said Kelley. "Just two months into 2025, we will have a primary and so the challenge she will have is bringing people to the polls and getting out there for her."
Hancock notes that most of the people that turn up for the St. Louis Mayor Election tend to be progressives and while both Jones and Spencer can be identified as progressives, the progressive voters will likely favor Jones.
"That's going to be where Tishaura Jones casting her lot and Cara, who has been considered a Progressive candidate in the past, probably would not be the favorite of those folks in this race," said Hancock.