ST. LOUIS – Cara Spencer has defeated incumbent Tishaura Jones to become the next Mayor of St. Louis, avenging a political loss from four years ago.

Spencer, alderwoman of Ward 8, bested Jones at the polls, according to the unofficial results.

Spencer dominated the nonpartisan March 4 primary, which was contested using approval voting. Spencer earned 68.11% approval from voters, more than doubling Jones’ 33.19% of support. The other two candidates in the primary, Michael Butler and Andrew Jones, received 24.87% and 13.63% approval, respectively. Under approval voting, voters could choose to support more than one candidate.

The primary saw a dismal 18% voter turnout. Jones had hoped that in a one-on-one race and with a higher voter turnout, that she could close the gap on Spencer in Tuesday’s general municipal election.

With Spencer’s victory and impending inauguration, St. Louis enters a rare club, becoming only the eighth major metropolitan city to have at least three women serve as mayor, joining Dallas, Texas; Charlotte, N.C; Las Vegas, Nev.; Baltimore, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Fort Worth, Texas. St. Louis and Baltimore are also the only major U.S. cities to elect a woman for mayor three consecutive times.

For additional context in Midwestern politics, Chicago and Minneapolis have elected two women as mayor; Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha have each elected a woman; and Columbus, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Milwaukee have yet to have a woman serve as mayor.

Jones defeated Spencer in 2021 to be Lyda Krewson’s successor by a margin of 51.7% to 47.8%.

Forty-eight people have served as the city’s mayor since the office was formed in April 1823.