Tishaura Jones

In 1995, after graduating from Hampton University, Jones applied for a liquor license for a restaurant she was starting in the Central West End called Sugar's Place.[10] The restaurant was unsuccessful, folding after about a year, and brought about major financial issues for her for years to come.[6] In 1999, she filed for bankruptcy and faced a tax lien by the state of Missouri.[11] Jones told The St. Louis Business Journal that her financial problems came during a “tumultuous time” in her life, as she had taken on debt from the restaurant, her father had been convicted on two counts of fraud in 1995, and her mother was dying of cancer, and said declaring bankruptcy “was the only way” to avoid financial ruin.[6] Her lien was released in 2003, and Jones said her credit score in 2017 was in the high 700s.[6][11] She said her experience with bankruptcy inspired her to create an office as treasurer that gives financial literacy instruction to St. Louis residents.[6]

From May 2001 to June 2003, Jones was an executive trainee at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.[12] When she ran for mayor in 2017, Steven M. Barney, who had mentored her at Cardinal Glennon, wrote that Jones did an “outstanding” job at the hospital and had “appropriate assertiveness.”[13]

Jones began her political career in 2002, when she was appointed to the Democratic Party Central Committee for St. Louis's eighth ward. Since 2004, Jones has served as the committee's serjeant-at-arms.[14]

On November 4, 2008, Jones was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives over independent candidate Nels Williams to represent the state's 63rd district. There was no Republican challenger for the seat, and Jones received 85.4% of the vote.[15] Her father, Virvus, managed her campaign.[4]

Jones ran unopposed in 2010 to win her second term, and became both the first African-American and the first woman appointed to serve as the Missouri House's assistant minority floor leader.[16][17][18] In the House, she served on several committees, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, the Health Insurance Committee, and the Special Standing Committee on Election Contests.[19]

From March 2010 to June 2011, Jones also worked as the Vice President of Municipal Finance at the minority-owned, Oakland-based investment firm Blaylock Robert Van.[6]

In February 2012, after the Missouri House passed a resolution condemning a contraceptive mandate by President Barack Obama's administration, Jones and six other female Democratic members of the House claimed they were kept out of the debate.[20] Jones said that the group “stood and waited to be recognized for two hours” but “never got a chance to speak on an issue that is unique to women.”[20] Democrat Margo McNeil argued that the incident was part of a Republican “war on women.”[20] Republican John Diehl, who was presiding over the debate, dismissed the allegation that the seven women were ignored, claiming that more Democrats were given time to speak than Republicans, and saying “it would take days” to vote on a bill if every member of the House got the chance to speak.[20]

On December 21, 2012, St. Louis Magazine included Jones on its annual “Power List,” noting that “Tishaura knows how to cross the aisle. But like her father, she’s also known as a blunt critic—which could make for a refreshing change in the city treasurer’s office, which has been plagued by scandal and controversy in recent years.”[21]

Jones in 2017

In 2012, Jones ran for the position of Treasurer of St. Louis. Her father, Virvus, once again served as her campaign manager.[17] Incumbent Larry Williams, who had been in the office since 1981 and was described by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch as "plagued by scandal nearly from his appointment," decided not to seek re-election.[17][22] Jones was among four Democratic challengers in the primary election.[17] During the campaign, she argued that Williams's administration had focused too much on parking, and said she would be more transparent about salaries and financial data and make banks more equitable.[17][23] On July 26, following the Post-Dispatch editorial board's endorsement of Fred Wessels Jr. for treasurer, in which they argued Jones was not qualified enough for the position, she responded to the paper through an interview with The St. Louis American.[24] She claimed that in addition to having the same qualifications as Wessels, she additionally had more relevant experience through her work with the investment banking firm Blaylock Robert Van, a fact which the Post-Dispatch did not mention.[24] On August 8, she won the Democratic primary, with Wessels coming in second place.[17] On November 6, she won the general election.[25]

After winning the Democratic primary, Jones said her first step as treasurer would be to conduct an independent audit to "see where all the bodies are buried, where the ghosts are" and said the office would undergo a "total house cleaning" of office staff.[26] She also said she would look into offshoring jobs in the treasurer's office to see if that was more cost-effective.[27] Jones was sworn in on January 1, 2013, becoming the first African-American woman to serve as treasurer.[28][29] One of the "ghost" workers under Williams, Fred W. Robinson, was convicted on charges of wire fraud and submitting false timesheets and was sentenced to two years in prison.[30][31][32] Within one month of taking office, Jones fired Robinson and four other employees who were accused of not doing their jobs and costing the city money.[33]

During her time as treasurer, Jones has been credited with transforming the office from a bureaucratic seat into a position of advocacy. Koran Addo of the Post-Dispatch noted how Jones had changed the public perception of the treasurer's office and expanded its role:

In the past, the treasurer’s office was viewed as a low-profile position a sleepy politician could use to coast into retirement. Under Jones, the office has become something of an advocacy center for financial literacy, offering programs to help people better manage their money and using revenue from parking meters to help needy kids save for college.[12]

On August 2, 2016, Jones lost an election to become the Democratic Party's committeewoman for the 26th ward but won the uncontested Democratic primary for treasurer.[34] She was re-elected to a second four-year term as treasurer on November 8, 2016 with 76.6% of the vote.[35]

On January 12, 2017, KMOV reported that Jones had taken 50 trips during her first term as treasurer, including trips to attend conferences and meetings in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York City, Paris, and Washington, D.C.[36] All of the trips had been at least partially reimbursed by the city for a total of over $27,000.[36][37] The report prompted calls for an investigation by two members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, with aldermen Steve Conway and Joe Vaccaro alleging that the majority of trips were taken for Jones's political benefit rather than as a function of her office.[36] Jones defended herself, claiming that the trips were related to her office and denying that any of the trips were a form of kickback. Jones told KMOV “every one of my trips is well-documented and was because I am a leader on a national stage, I have been requested to come to meetings and conferences to speak, and because I have been requested to talk with other executives.”[36] At a press conference on January 17, she attacked the report, along with reports on her 1999 bankruptcy and her ties to convicted felon and banker Craig Walker, as politically motivated to hurt her mayoral campaign. “They are suspicious because of all the candidates running for mayor, I alone have been singled out and subjected to these kinds of attacks,” Jones said. “As treasurer, I expect people to hold me accountable for my actions. I also expect the media to be fair and tell the entire story, which has not happened thus far.”[37]

In April 2020, Jones signed a $7 million parking meter maintenance contract with Hudson and Associates, whose CEO had donated $31,000 to Jones's campaigns since 2013.[38] The issue was brought to a circuit court, which ruled in favor of Jones, finding she did not violate city ordinance.[39]

In her 2020 campaign for a third term as treasurer, Jones was endorsed by Democracy for America,[40] Planned Parenthood,[41] The St. Louis American's editorial board,[42] and the United Auto Workers,[43] as well as by Representative Ayanna Pressley[44] and Senator Elizabeth Warren.[45] On November 3, 2020, Jones was re-elected with 77.6% of the vote.[46]

A campaign poster for Jones's 2017 mayoral campaign

A grassroots group of supportive activists calling themselves “Draft Tishaura” helped convince Jones to run for Mayor of St. Louis in 2017.[12] On November 17, 2016, Jones announced her candidacy in the 2017 mayoral election.[47] During the campaign, she received endorsements from the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists,[48] Democracy for America,[49] Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment,[50] MoveOn,[49] NARAL Pro-Choice America,[48] the Service Employees International Union,[48][49] the Working Families Party,[51] and the Young Democrats of St. Louis,[48] as well as by St. Louis Alderman Chris Carter III,[48] Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander,[48] Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed,[48] and St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman.[48] In the Democratic primary on March 7, 2017, Jones finished in second place with 30.4% of the vote, losing to Lyda Krewson, who won with 32% of the vote.[52] The race was noted for its low turnout,[52][53] and many commentators speculated that the outcome was racial in nature.[lower-alpha 2][52][54][55][56][53] On April 4, Krewson won the general election.[57]

During the campaign, Jones was notably a target of criticism by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s editorial board, which ultimately endorsed Antonio French.[58] She alleged that many of the Post-Dispatch's attacks against her were racist, such as a January 21 editorial calling her “high-flying,” which she took to mean as a dog whistle for “uppity,”[59] and a January 25 column by editorial editor Tod Robberson arguing that the top priority for a mayoral candidate would be to “address blight and abate the graffiti that’s killing our city.”[59][60][61] On February 9, less than one month before the city's Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election,[lower-alpha 3] Jones penned an open letter to Robberson, published in The St. Louis American, where she declined an invitation to speak to the editorial board, accused the newspaper of “thinly veiled racism” in its attacks on her, and criticized the editorial board for not having any African-American members.[59] Her letter garnered national media attention, and was received favorably by readers and national press.[56][62][63][64][65] The letter was viewed by over 250,000 people within a few days, and following the letter's publication, Jones's campaign raised $36,000 in 48 hours.[56][66] CityLab’s Brentin Mock commented that the letter had “become a viral sensation.”[63] Jezebel’s Prachi Gupta wrote that Jones was “breathing fire” and that one portion of the letter, where Jones referenced the Ferguson unrest, “if delivered as a speech, would take her ten minutes to get through because everyone would be cheering so hard.”[64] The Root’s Jason Johnson called Jones's letter “savage” and said that “whether she wins the Democratic primary on March 7 or not, one thing is clear: the city of St. Louis, its local Democratic Party and press could use a wake-up call.”[65] Jones herself described the letter as her "Fannie Lou Hamer moment."[50][56] After Jones lost the Democratic primary to Krewson, the Post-Dispatch’s attacks continued, with the newspaper's editorial board commenting that a “dose of humility” could have helped Jones's campaign; Jones claimed this remark was sexist.[56][66]

On November 4, 2020, one day after being elected treasurer for a third term, Jones announced her candidacy in the 2021 St. Louis mayoral election, urging her supporters to "say no to business as usual."[67] She has been endorsed by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists,[68] Democracy for America,[69] NARAL Pro-Choice America,[70] the Service Employees International Union,[71] the Young Democrats of St. Louis,[72] and Quinton Lucas, the incumbent mayor of Kansas City.[73] If elected, she would be the second woman to serve as St. Louis mayor, after incumbent Lyda Krewson, who is not not seeking re-election.

The 2021 election will be the city's first to use approval voting, after St. Louis voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition D on November 3, 2020.[74] St. Louis will be the second U.S. city to use approval voting for local elections, after Fargo, North Dakota adopted a similar ballot measure in 2018.[74] Though Jones is a Democrat, she and all other candidates will be forced to run as non-partisans under the new rules.[74] The primary will be held on March 2, 2021, and the top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will compete in a general election on April 6, 2021.[70][74]

Though Jones has said she would not have an abortion herself,[82][83] she supports abortion generally, which she says should be "my decision between me, my God, and my doctor."[82] At various points in her political career, she has been endorsed by the pro-choice groups NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood.[41][70]

On July 15, 2011, Jones criticized Missouri Governor Jay Nixon for allowing two bills restricting abortion to become law without his signature, and called the bills part of an effort by anti-abortion groups to "slowly but surely chip away at reproductive rights" following Roe v. Wade.[84]

On May 17, 2019, Jones endorsed a statement by Lewis E. Reed and the majority of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen condemning an abortion law passed by the Missouri General Assembly.[85]

On January 10, 2012, while in the Missouri House of Representatives, Jones introduced a bill to set stricter requirements for charter management organizations. Though the bill was voted “do pass” in committee, the bill was never voted on.[86] On April 19, after the Missouri State Board of Education voted to close six St. Louis charter schools operated by the Virginia-based company Imagine Schools, Jones argued that her proposed bill could have stopped the schools from being closed.[87]

In 2015, as treasurer, Jones created a program that opens a savings account for every St. Louis kindergarten student in public school.[88][89] She said the program was inspired by a similar initiative by San Francisco treasurer José Cisneros.[89] On June 9, 2015, Jones was recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for her work with the program.[90]

Jones believes that gun control is necessary to reduce violent crime.[91] She also believes that the government needs to do more to address poverty in regards to violence, saying that "if we can’t get the guns off the streets, then what are we doing to get resources down to the grassroots to help the people who are affected?"[91] She has referenced Aristotelianism in her beliefs about the connection between poverty and violence.[91]

In 2019, Jones criticized St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson for offering a $25,000 reward, paid for by billionaire political donor Rex Sinquefield, for information related to the gun-related death of a child, which led St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan to favorably dub Jones "the Shadow Mayor of St. Louis."[54] On September 15, 2019, Jones joined in a protest march against gun violence led by Moms Demand Action and other mothers' advocacy groups.[92]

Jones supports increasing immigration to the United States and believes that "immigrants should be seen as an asset, not a burden."[93] Jones is in favor of making St. Louis a sanctuary city, and said during her 2017 mayoral campaign that if elected, she would create an "Office of New Americans" providing assistance to immigrants.[93] She supports a city identification card program.[93] Jones has praised Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio on immigration, and said she reached out to him during her 2017 campaign "to ask how we can follow his lead.[93]

Jones supports decriminalizing sex work, and instead providing prostitutes with housing, unemployment resources and drug addiction treatment.[94]

On January 13, 2011, Jones introduced a bill to the Missouri House of Representatives requiring the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to post resources on umbilical cord blood banking on its website. The bill passed 149-1 in the House on April 5, with only Linda Black voting against it, and its companion bill passed unanimously in the Missouri Senate on April 28.[95][96] The bill was signed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon on July 8.[96]

On February 7, 2012, Jones introduced two bills to the Missouri House related to lupus: the first to designate each May as “Lupus Awareness Month” in Missouri, and the second to create a checkoff on income tax forms for a “Lupus Revolving Research Trust Fund.” The first bill was passed by the House unanimously on March 28, but was not voted on by the Senate.[97] The second was referred to the House Ways and Means committee, which did not make a decision on it.[97]

As treasurer, Jones suspended parking tickets in St. Louis during the COVID-19 pandemic and made parking meters free.[98]

Jimmy Tobias of The Nation described Jones as a “champion of Black Lives Matter,” writing in 2017 that “if Jones’s [2017 mayoral] campaign prevails… the Black Lives Matter movement will clearly, finally, have an unequivocal ally at City Hall.”[50]

On February 2, 2009, while in the Missouri House of Representatives, Jones introduced a bill that would curtail state intervention into the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The bill was not put up for a vote.[99]

In her 2017 letter to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published in The St. Louis American, Jones wrote that, if elected mayor, “I will look at every issue through a racial equity lens. I will ask if every decision we make helps those who have been disenfranchised, red-lined and flat-out ignored for way too long. I will look through each and every program in city government and make the changes necessary to ensure that government is working for those people.”[59]

On May 17, 2017, Jones started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to remove the Memorial to the Confederate Dead, a Confederate memorial in Forest Park, after St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson said the only reason the memorial was still up was because it would cost the city too much to remove it.[100][101][102][103] “What I’m trying to do is set the record straight," Jones told The New York Times. "The Confederates, in my opinion, were traitors. And in this country, we honor patriots.”[104] The fundraiser reached $17,545 of its $25,000 goal.[105] On June 26, Krewson's administration agreed to give the memorial to the Missouri Civil War Museum in exchange for the museum arranging to pay for the memorial's removal and store it until it was displayed;[106] Jones subsequently announced that all funds raised by the campaign would go to the city's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.[107]

Jones has advocated for closing the controversial St. Louis Medium Security Institution (known as the "St. Louis Workhouse"), which she has called a "rat hole", citing "a damning list of abuses, including sexual harassment, medical neglect, extended or mistaken incarceration, and negligence resulting in death" at the facility.[59][108] As treasurer, she formally recommended that the institution be closed, arguing that "the city currently spends $254 million a year repeatedly arresting the same people, trying them, and incarcerating them."[108]

On June 26, 2020, Jones criticized Krewson and called on her to resign after Krewson listed the names, addresses, and proposed police budgets of several protesters calling to defund the police during a Facebook Live stream, a move which critics claimed was doxing.[109] "It was irresponsible for the Mayor to publicize the names and addresses of her constituents, who were exercising their constitutional right to free speech and to petition their government," Jones tweeted. "I echo the calls for Mayor Krewson’s resignation. Constituents should not fear retaliation for expressing their opinions on how our government aligns its spending priorities."[110]