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47th Mayor of St. Louis
Incumbent
Assumed office April 20, 2021
Preceded by	Lyda Krewson
Treasurer of St. Louis
In office January 1, 2013 – April 20, 2021
Preceded by	Larry Williams
Succeeded by	Adam Layne
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 63rd district
In office January 2009 – January 2013
Preceded by	Robin Wright-Jones
Succeeded by	Michael Butler

Personal details
Born	Tishaura Oneda Jones (1972-03-10) March 10, 1972 (age 53) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
Education	Hampton University (BS) Saint Louis University (MHA)
Website

Tishaura Oneda Jones (/tɪˈʃɑːrə/ tish-AR-ə; born March 10, 1972) is an American politician. She has been the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri since April 2021.

Before becoming mayor, Jones was a member of the Missouri Democratic Party. She served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2008 to 2013. Then, she was the Treasurer for the City of St. Louis from 2013 to 2021.

Jones was born in St. Louis. Her father was a former city comptroller. She studied at Hampton University in Virginia. After graduating in 1994, she returned to St. Louis. She later earned a Master of Health Administration degree from the Saint Louis University College for Public Health in 2001. She also worked at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.

Jones describes herself as a progressive politician. She started her political journey in 2002. In 2008, she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. In 2012, she became the St. Louis Treasurer. She was re-elected to this role in 2016 and 2020.

In 2021, Jones was elected as Mayor of St. Louis. She is the third African-American, the second woman, and the first African-American woman to hold this important position.

Early Life and Education

Tishaura Oneda Jones was born on March 10, 1972, in St. Louis. Her parents are Virvus and Laura Jones. Her father used to be the city's comptroller. She is their only child.

Jones finished high school at Affton High School in 1990. She then went to Hampton University. This is a historically black college in Hampton, Virginia. At Hampton, she was part of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 1994.

In 2001, Jones received a Master of Health Administration degree. She got this from the Saint Louis University College for Public Health. Later, in 2015, she completed a program at the Harvard Kennedy School. This program focused on state and local government.

Starting Her Career

After graduating from Hampton University in 1995, Jones tried to open a restaurant. It was called Sugar's Place. The restaurant did not succeed and closed after about a year. This experience later inspired her. She wanted to help St. Louis residents learn about financial literacy.

From 2001 to 2003, Jones worked at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. She was an executive trainee there. Her mentor said she did an "outstanding" job.

Jones began her political career in 2002. She was chosen to be on the Democratic Party Central Committee for St. Louis's eighth ward. Since 2004, she has also served as the committee's serjeant-at-arms.

Serving in the Missouri House

Jones speaking at the Missouri State Capitol in 2012

On November 4, 2008, Jones was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. She represented the state's 63rd district. She won against an independent candidate. There was no Republican challenger. Jones received 85.4 percent of the votes. Her father, Virvus, helped manage her campaign.

In 2010, Jones ran for re-election without any opponents. She won her second term. She became the first African-American and the first woman to be the Missouri House's assistant minority floor leader. While in the House, she served on several committees. These included the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and the Health Insurance Committee.

From 2010 to 2011, Jones also worked as the Vice President of Municipal Finance. This was at an investment firm called Blaylock Robert Van.

Becoming St. Louis Treasurer

Jones speaking behind a podium during a 2017 debate

Jones served as the St. Louis Treasurer from January 1, 2013, until she became mayor in April 2021.

2012 Treasurer Election

In 2012, Jones decided to run for St. Louis Treasurer. Her father, Virvus, was her campaign manager again. The person who held the office before, Larry Williams, decided not to run again. Jones was one of four Democratic candidates.

During her campaign, she said she would make the Treasurer's office more open. She promised to be clear about salaries and financial information. She also wanted to make banks more fair. On August 8, she won the Democratic primary election. She then won the general election on November 6. After winning, Jones said she would have an independent audit done. She wanted to make sure everything in the office was clear and correct.

First Term (2013-2017)

Jones was sworn in as Treasurer on January 1, 2013. She was the first woman to hold this position. Early in her term, she made changes to the office staff.

During her time as Treasurer, Jones was praised for changing the office. She made it a place that helped people. She worked with a group called Operation HOPE, Inc.. Together, they started a program at City Hall. This program helped people learn about managing their money. It was the first program of its kind.

In 2016, Jones spoke at a big meeting. She talked about her experiences with social movements. This was after the shooting of Michael Brown and the Ferguson unrest.

2016 Treasurer Election

On November 8, 2016, Jones was re-elected for her second term as Treasurer. She won with 76.6 percent of the votes.

Second Term (2017-2021)

In 2017, a news report said Jones had taken many trips during her first term. These trips were for conferences and meetings. The city paid for some of the costs. Jones defended herself. She said the trips were important for her job. She also said she was a leader on a national level.

Third Term (2021)

In her 2020 campaign for a third term as Treasurer, Jones received support from many groups. These included Democracy for America and the United Auto Workers. She was also supported by Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren. On November 3, 2020, Jones was re-elected with 77.6 percent of the vote. Her third term was short because she was elected mayor soon after.

Mayor of St. Louis

Jones was elected as Mayor of St. Louis in 2021. She had run for mayor before in 2017 but lost. On November 4, 2020, after being elected Treasurer for a third time, Jones announced she would run for mayor again.

She won the 2021 St. Louis mayoral election against Cara Spencer on April 7, 2021. She was sworn in on April 20. She is the first African-American woman to be Mayor of St. Louis. She is also the third African-American and second woman to hold the position.

2017 St. Louis Mayoral Campaign

A campaign poster for Jones's 2017 mayoral campaign

A group of supporters encouraged Jones to run for Mayor of St. Louis in 2017. On November 17, 2016, Jones announced she would run in the 2017 St. Louis mayoral election. During her campaign, she received support from many groups. These included the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and the Working Families Party.

In the Democratic primary election on March 7, 2017, Jones came in second place. She lost to Lyda Krewson. The election had low voter turnout. On April 4, Krewson won the general election.

2021 St. Louis Mayoral Campaign

On November 4, 2020, Jones announced she would run for mayor again. She urged her supporters to "say no to business as usual." Jones and Cara Spencer moved on from the primary election. They competed in the general election on April 6, 2021. Jones won against Spencer.

Mayor of St. Louis (2021–Present)

On April 20, 2021, Jones became St. Louis' first African-American female mayor. The ceremony was held at City Hall. On the same day, she shared her budget plan. It included closing the city's medium-security prison, known as The Workhouse. On April 23, Jones announced a group would help decide how to spend money from the federal government. This money came from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. On June 17, The Workhouse was closed. People held there were moved to the City Justice Center.

Her Ideas and Goals

Jones identifies as a progressive politician. She has been described this way by the media. She calls herself a "Warren Democrat." She believes that "St. Louis needs to change" quickly. However, she is also known for being able to work with people from different political views.

Education

In 2012, while in the Missouri House, Jones proposed a bill. It would set stricter rules for charter management organizations. The bill was not voted on.

In 2015, as Treasurer, Jones started a program called "College Kids." This program opens a savings account for every St. Louis kindergarten student in public school. The money for this program comes from parking meters. The program is like a SEED fund. It earns interest until students graduate high school. It also has ways to encourage saving, like matching savings up to $100. There are also rewards for perfect attendance. Jones was recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for this program in 2015.

Immigration

Jones supports increasing immigration to the United States. She believes that "immigrants should be seen as an asset, not a burden." Jones wants St. Louis to be a sanctuary city. During her 2017 mayoral campaign, she said she would create an "Office of New Americans." This office would help immigrants. She also supports a city identification card program.

Public Health

In 2011, Jones introduced a bill in the Missouri House. It asked the Missouri Department of Health to share information about umbilical cord blood banking. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon.

In 2012, Jones introduced two bills about lupus. One bill would make May "Lupus Awareness Month" in Missouri. The other would create a way for people to donate to a "Lupus Revolving Research Trust Fund" on their income tax forms. The first bill passed the House but not the Senate.

As Treasurer, Jones stopped parking tickets in St. Louis during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also made parking meters free.

Personal Life

Jones has one son, who was born in 2007.

In 2020, Jones supported Senator Elizabeth Warren and then Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party presidential primaries.

In June 2020, Jones shared on Facebook that she had surgery for uterine fibroids.