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Cara Spencer

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Cara Spencer
48th Mayor of St. Louis
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 15, 2025
Preceded byTishaura Jones
Member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen
In office
April 21, 2015 – April 15, 2025
Preceded byCraig Schmid
Succeeded byVacant
ConstituencyWard 20 (2015–2023)
Ward 8 (2023–2025)
Personal details
Born (1978-09-11) September 11, 1978 (age 46)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationTruman State University (BS)

Cara Spencer (born September 11, 1978)[1] is an American politician serving as the 48th and current mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. She served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen as alderwoman of Ward 8 from 2023 to 2025; she represented Ward 20 from 2015 to 2023.

Spencer ran in the 2021 St. Louis mayoral election, finishing second in the primary election, then losing the general election to Tishaura Jones. In the 2025 election, she defeated Jones. She is the city's third consecutive female mayor.

Early life and education

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Spencer grew up in South St. Louis City and St. Louis County. She is a graduate of Parkway South High School, located in west St. Louis County.[2] She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Truman State University.[3]

Before becoming an elected official, Spencer did mathematical modeling for the St. Louis-based company Tessellon.[4]

In 2011, she had a son named Cy Spencer.[5]

Politics

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Spencer served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, she represented Ward 8, which consists of Downtown St. Louis, Soulard, and Lafayette Square. Between 2015 and 2023, she represented Ward 20, which included the South St. Louis neighborhoods of Dutchtown, Gravois Park, Marine Villa, and Mount Pleasant.[3]

Board of Aldermen - Ward 20

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Spencer was elected an alderman in April 2015 after defeating incumbent Craig Schmid, who had held the seat for two decades, in the Democratic primary election. She then defeated independent candidate Stephen Jehle and Green Party candidate Vickie Ingram in the general election.[6][7][8]

During her first term in office, she was the primary sponsor of legislation that enacted stricter campaign finance laws,[9][10] imposed stricter air pollution standards than state requirements on asbestos in demolitions,[11][12] required absentee landlords to pay fines for building code violations,[13] imposed fines on payday lending operators,[14] and protected victims of drug overdose by enacting the 1st municipal good Samaritan law in the US, granting immunity to drug possession charges to anyone calling 911 for help during an overdose.[15] Spencer co-developed and helped implement the "mow-to-own" program allowing residents to obtain an adjacent city-owned lot by mowing it for one year.[16] Spencer helped stop the St. Louis Lambert International Airport from being privatized.[17][18][19]

In 2016, an ethics complaint was filed against Spencer by attorney Jane Dueker, alleging that Spencer failed to disclose a personal financial interest related to legislation she introduced regulating payday lending. The case was dismissed.[20]

Spencer was re-elected in 2019.[8]

In August 2020, Spencer was the target of a petition to recall her from her position as Alderwoman. The petition was organized by Metropolitan Strategies and Solution, a consulting firm that supported privatization efforts.[21][22]

Spencer served as the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.[23][24]

2021 St. Louis mayoral election

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Main article: 2021 St. Louis mayoral election

On January 13, 2020, Spencer announced her intention to run for mayor of St. Louis in 2021.[25][6][3][26] The 2021 election was the city's first use of approval voting.[27] Spencer, along with Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, were endorsed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board in a joint endorsement (since voters could now select more than one candidate in the primary election).[28] Spencer was also endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Advocates of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and former St. Louis mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl.[29][30][31]

Spencer, alongside St. Louis treasurer Tishaura Jones, advanced to the general election after the primary on March 2, 2021.[32][33] Spencer was defeated by Jones in the general election held on April 6, 2021.[34]

Board of Aldermen - Ward 8

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Following the city's 2021 redistricting and reduction of the number of wards, Spencer was elected alderman for Ward 8 in 2023.[35] She served as Chair of the Budget and Public Employees Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Transportation and Commerce Committee.[36]

2025 St. Louis mayoral election

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Main article: 2025 St. Louis mayoral election

On May 23, 2024, Spencer declared her second bid for mayor of St. Louis in 2025, challenging the incumbent Jones.[37] On March 4, Spencer won the nonpartisan primary for mayor of St. Louis, earning 68% of the vote.[38] On April 8, 2025, Spencer defeated Jones in the general election, receiving 64.2% of the popular vote.[39]

Mayor of St. Louis

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On April 15, 2025, Spencer was sworn in as the 48th mayor of St. Louis.[40]

References

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  1. ^ Huguelet, Austin (March 30, 2025). "Cara Spencer Says St. Louis Can Do Better. If She Becomes Mayor, Will She Deliver?". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  2. ^ Huguelet, Austin (March 30, 2025). "Cara Spencer says St. Louis can do better. If she becomes mayor, will she deliver?". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Kevin S. Held (January 13, 2020). "Alderwoman Cara Spencer to challenge Mayor Lyda Krewson in 2021 primary". Fox2Now. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Cara Spencer Ward 20 Alderwoman". St. Louis Government Website. January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. ^ https://x.com/KMOXKilleen/status/1330892552342544385
  6. ^ a b Danny Wicentowski (January 13, 2020). "St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer First to Challenge Krewson for Mayor". River Front Times. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "Election Summary Report March 3, 2015" (PDF). St. Louis Government Website. March 9, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Cara Spencer on Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Kirn, Jacob. "City aldermen eye campaign finance reforms amid Stenger probe". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Board Bill". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Ordinance Details". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  12. ^ Arrighi, Jeanine (August 27, 2019). "Easy West Gateway Council of Governments Air Quality Advisory Committee" (PDF).
  13. ^ Fenske, Sarah. "'McKee Exemption' Scrapped by Board of Aldermen in Unanimous Vote". Riverfront Times. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  14. ^ "After months of delay, aldermen give initial approval to restrictions on payday lenders". St. Louis Public Radio. November 4, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  15. ^ Murphy, Doyle. "'Good Samaritan' Law Bars St. Louis Cops from Arresting Drug Users Who Call 911 for Overdoses". Riverfront Times. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  16. ^ Doyle Murphy (December 14, 2015). "Here's a New Plan for Overgrown St. Louis Lots: Mow to Own". River Front Times. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  17. ^ Mark Schlinkmann (December 21, 2019). "St. Louis airport privatization effort is dead, Krewson says". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  18. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (July 9, 2020). "St. Louis airport privatization saga continues at Board of Aldermen". STLtoday.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  19. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (September 3, 2020). "Lambert privatization plan yanked from Nov. 3 St. Louis ballot". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Koran Addo (October 11, 2016). "Ethics complaint against St. Louis alderman dismissed". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  21. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (August 7, 2020). "Petition drive launched to put recall of Alderman Cara Spencer on Nov. 3 ballot". STLtoday.com. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  22. ^ "Supporters of Lambert Airport Privatization tries to recall their main critic on the Board of Aldermen". FOX 2. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  23. ^ American, Rebecca Rivas Of The St Louis (May 20, 2020). "City aldermen question whether city's contact tracing program can keep up now with stay-at-home orders lifted". St. Louis American. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  24. ^ "Aldermanic Committee". stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  25. ^ Nassim Benchaabane (January 13, 2020). "Alderman Cara Spencer running for mayor of St. Louis". St. Louis Today. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  26. ^ Jason Rosenbaum; Jo Mannies (January 13, 2020). "Politically Speaking: Alderman Spencer on entering the fray at the Board of Aldermen". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  27. ^ Nathaniel Rakich (March 1, 2021). "In St. Louis, Voters Will Get To Vote For As Many Candidates As They Want". Five Thirty Eight. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  28. ^ The Editorial Board (February 17, 2021). "Editorial: We recommend Lewis Reed and Cara Spencer in the St. Louis mayoral primary". STLtoday.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  29. ^ "Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri". m.facebook.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  30. ^ Bogan, Jesse. "'A whole bunch of history': Two progressives in St. Louis mayor's race get support from the past". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  31. ^ Dana Rieck (February 28, 2021). "With primary around the corner, mayoral candidate endorsements pile up". St. Louis American. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "St. Louis City". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  33. ^ "Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer advance to general election in St. Louis Mayor's race". KMOV4. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Millitzer, Joe (April 6, 2021). "Tishaura Jones to be next mayor of St. Louis". KTVI. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  35. ^ "Progressives strengthen grip on St. Louis politics as Board of Aldermen downsizes to 14". STLPR. April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  36. ^ "Alderwoman Cara Spencer". stlouis-mo.gov. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  37. ^ Lippmann, Rachel (May 23, 2024). "Alderwoman Cara Spencer plans second run for St. Louis mayor". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  38. ^ Krull, Ryan (March 4, 2025). "Spencer wins mayoral primary, with Jones a distant second". St Louis Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  39. ^ Lippmann, Rachel (April 9, 2025). "Spencer wins St. Louis mayor race, ousting Jones in bitter rematch". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  40. ^ "WATCH LIVE: Cara Spencer sworn in as Mayor of St. Louis". First Alert 4. April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of St. Louis
2025–present 		Incumbent
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