History has just been made in the city of St. Louis, US!

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones has been elected as the city’s first Black female mayor. Jones beat her opponent Alderwoman Cara Spencer with a total of 2,280 votes, per the unofficial election results posted on the city’s online election board. 

“Making history as the first Black woman mayor is not lost on me at this moment,” she said in an interview. “I’m also looking at how little girls will look at this moment going forward and will see that they can be anything and that they have a mayor that looks like them.”

In her victory speech, Jones pledged to enforce real change in the city of St. Louis. “This is an opportunity for us to rise,” she said. “I told you when I was running that we aren’t done avoiding tough conversations. We are done ignoring the racism that has held our city and our region back.”

Jones added that she will always speak up against discrimination and other social issues. “I will not stay silent when I spot any injustice,” she said.

This mayoral election was the first to utilize the city’s new election law overhaul called Proposition D. 

The new system requires candidates to run in the March primaries and the two candidates with the most votes will face off in the general election in April. In addition, residents can vote for as many candidates as they want.

Jones wants to provide better resources to those that live in the north of Delmar Boulevard, which mainly consists of Black residents. She also wants to tackle the rise in violence, the city’s growth in prison population, and public health policies.

“It’s time for St. Louis to thrive,” she said. “It’s time to bring a breath of fresh air to our neighbourhoods.”