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Photos: St. Louis voters call for change in April's municipal general election

St. Louis Public Radio | By Brian Munoz,
Cristina Fletes-Mach
Published April 9, 2025 at 9:28 AM CDT
Black man throws his fist in the air while surrounded by family.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Justin Idleburg, chief executive officer at Cabanne District Community Development Corp., cheers during an election watch party after Cara Spencer defeated Mayor Tishaura Jones for the seat on Tuesday night at Union Station in Downtown West.

St. Louisans want change — sort of.

Voters took to the polls to elect Alderwoman Cara Spencer as the city's next mayor. “This campaign was built on the simple idea that St. Louis can do better,” Spencer told a jubilant crowd at the Grand Hall in Union Station. Some yelled back: “Yes we can.”

St. Louisans also threw their support behind a new comptroller and added three new members to the St. Louis Board of Education, but voters also reelected all of the incumbent members running for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

Only about 26% of the city's registered voters participated in Tuesday's municipal election, up from less than 18% in the March primary.

See photos from St. Louis' election day below:

Cara Spencer dances after being elected as St. Louis’ 48th mayor during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis' Downtown West neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Cara Spencer dances after defeating Tishaura Jones and being elected St. Louis’ 48th mayor on Tuesday night.
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis' Downtown West neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor on Tuesday night.
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis' Downtown West neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters after defeating Mayor Tishaura Jones on Tuesday night.
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis' Downtown West neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Cara Spencer addresses her supporters on Tuesday.
Cara Spencer embraces a supporter after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis' Downtown West neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Cara Spencer embraces a supporter after winning the election to become St. Louis’ 48th mayor on Tuesday night.
Former Alderman Matt Villa, of south St. Louis, center, speaks to attendees of Cara Spencer’s mayoral watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Former Alderman Matt Villa, of south St. Louis, center, speaks to attendees of Cara Spencer’s mayoral watch party at Union Station on Tuesday.
St. Louis Mayor-elect Cara Spencer has her photo taken alongside unionized firefighters and other supporters during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor-elect Cara Spencer has her photo taken alongside union firefighters and other supporters during a watch party at Union Station on Tuesday.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones hugs supporter Vincent Flewellen after 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Jones defeated Jones in the election on Wednesday, April 8, 2025.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones hugs supporter Vincent Flewellen after Alderwoman Cara Spencer deflated Jones' reelection bid.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones changes into high heels to give a concession speech after Cara Spencer, currently St. Louis' 8th Ward alderwoman, defeated Jones in the election on April 8, 2025.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones changes into high heels to give a concession speech after Cara Spencer, currently an alderwoman, won the mayor's seat on Tuesday night.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones gives a concession speech at the Omega Center in St. Louis after 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Jones was declared the projected winner on Wednesday, April 8, 2025.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones gives a concession speech after being defeated by Alderwoman Cara Spencer on Tuesday night.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones gives her concession speech after losing to Cara Spencer on Tuesday night.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones hugs her father, Virvus Jones, and is consoled by supporter Cynthia Jordan after 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Jones defeated Jones in the election on Wednesday, April 8, 2025.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones hugs her father, Virvus Jones, while being comforted by supporter Cynthia Jordan after losing her reelection bid to Alderwoman Cara Spencer on Tuesday night.
Brian Marston speaks to supporters alongside his family and a DJ after winning a seat on the St. Louis Public Schools board during a watch party at the Skatium on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in north St. Louis.
Hiba Ahmad
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Brian Marston speaks to supporters alongside his family and a DJ after winning a seat on the St. Louis Board of Education during a watch party at the Skatium on Tuesday night in north St. Louis.
St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education candidate Zach Davis wraps his arms around slate candidate Krystal Barnett, at left, and Coalition with STL Kids founder Chester Asher, at right, Tuesday night at the Drip Community Coffeehouse in Tower Grove South. Barnett, Davis, and candidate Andre Walker (not pictured) ran together on a slate for three vacant board seats, but finished well behind the winning candidates in sixth, seventh and eighth place.
Lacretia Wimbley / St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Board of Education candidate Zach Davis wraps his arms around slate candidate Krystal Barnett, left, and Coalition with STL Kids founder Chester Asher, right, Tuesday night at the Drip Community Coffeehouse in Tower Grove South. Barnett, Davis and candidate Andre Walker (not pictured) ran together on a slate for three vacant board seats but finished well behind the winning candidates in sixth, seventh and eighth place.
A voter takes to the polls on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, outside of Hamilton Elementary School in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
A voter takes to the polls on Tuesday outside Hamilton Elementary School in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Donna Baringer speaks to a voter on why they should vote for her as St. Louis’ next comptroller on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, outside of Hamilton Elementary School in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Donna Baringer speaks to a voter on Tuesday outside Hamilton Elementary School in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood. Baringer defeated Comptroller Darlene Green.
Voters take to the polls on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at St. Louis University’s Il Monastero in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Voters take to the polls on Tuesday at St. Louis University’s Il Monastero in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.
Divine Patterson, 12, scooters to a ballot submission box alongside her mother Martikelia Jones, 43, both of downtown St. Louis, at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in downtown St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Divine Patterson, 12, scooters to a ballot submission box alongside her mother, Martikelia Jones, 43, both of downtown St. Louis, at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch on Tuesday in downtown St. Louis.
John Moore, a poll worker at St. Louis University, shows off a hovering alien toy during a lull in the poll son Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in St. Louis’ Midtown neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
John Moore, a poll worker at St. Louis University, shows off a hovering alien toy during a lull at the polls on Tuesday in Midtown.
Voters take to the polls at Hamilton Elementary School on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Voters take to the polls at Hamilton Elementary School on Tuesday in the city’s Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Voters take to the polls at the Boys & Girls Club Mathews-Dickey Club on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in north St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Voters take to the polls at the Boys' & Girls' Club Mathews-Dickey Club on Tuesday in north St. Louis.
Voters take to the polls at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in downtown St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Voters take to the polls at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch on Tuesday in downtown St. Louis.
The moon rises behind the St. Louis flag outside of the St. Louis Public Library Central Branch on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in downtown St. Louis.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
The moon rises behind the St. Louis flag outside the St. Louis Public Library's Central Branch on Tuesday in downtown St. Louis.

Hiba Ahmad, Lacretia Wimbley and Rachel Lippmann contributed to this report.
Tags
Government, Politics & Issues St. Louis MayorCara SpencerTishaura JonesSt. Louis comptrollerDonna BaringerSt. Louis Board of EducationVoting2025 Missouri elections2025 ElectionsElectionsPhotojournalismTop Stories
Brian Munoz
Brian Munoz is the Visuals Editor at St. Louis Public Radio.
See stories by Brian Munoz
Cristina Fletes-Mach
Cristina Fletes-Mach is a visual communications specialist at St. Louis Public Radio.
See stories by Cristina Fletes-Mach
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