Tishaura Jones

Tishaura Oneda Jones (/tɪʃɑːrʌ/ tish-ARE-ə; born March 10, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri since April 2021. A member of the Missouri Democratic Party, Jones served from 2008 to 2013 in the Missouri House of Representatives; and as Treasurer of the City of St. Louis from 2013 to 2021.

Born in St. Louis to a former city comptroller, Jones studied at Hampton University in Virginia, returning to St. Louis upon graduating in 1994. Following a failed attempt to start a restaurant that left her bankrupt, she entered nursing, graduating from the Saint Louis University College for Public Health with a Master of Health Administration in 2001 and working for Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital for two years.

A self-described progressive, Jones entered politics in 2002, when she was appointed to the Democratic Party Central Committee for St. Louis's eighth ward. In 2008, she was elected to represent Missouri's 63rd District in the state legislature, defeating independent candidate Nels Williams with 85.4 percent of the vote. She ran unopposed for re-election to the House in 2010.

In 2012, Jones ran for St. Louis Treasurer in 2012, and won the general election with 77.9 percent of the vote. She was re-elected for the office in 2016 and 2020.

Jones was elected as Mayor of St. Louis in the 2021 mayoral election (after losing in 2017). Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer defeated St. Louis Aldermen President Lewis Reed and utility executive Andrew Jones in the first top-two approval voting primary held in the United States. Tishaura Jones then defeated Cara Spencer in the general election. Jones was sworn in on April 20, and is the third African-American, the second woman, and the first African-American woman to hold the position.