Spencer-backed Jami Cox Antwi wins mayor's old aldermanic seat
The election used a one-and-done format without primaries.
Traffic safety emerged as the dominant campaign issue.
St. Louis voters in the city's 8th Ward chose their new representative via a special election Tuesday, replacing Cara Spencer, who vacated the seat after winning the mayor's race earlier this year.
Jami Cox Antwi walked away with an easy win, taking 55% of the vote according to unofficial results. Of the five candidates on Tuesday's ballot, the candidate with the second-highest number of votes — Shedrick Kelley — received 18%.
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Unlike typical city elections, this contest operated under a one-and-done format with no approval primary process beforehand, meaning voters get a single opportunity to choose from candidates with sharply different political views and governing approaches.
Traffic safety emerged as the dominant issue across all campaigns, with candidates citing speeding and dangerous intersections as top voter concerns in a ward bordered by major thoroughfares including Gravois Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and South Broadway.
Cox Antwi, who had Spencer's endorsement, positioned herself as the continuity candidate with practical experience.
"I think what sets me apart from the other candidates is I'm the only candidate with practical experience not only in the things that I speak about — community development and revitalization — but also in public service," Cox Antwi said.
Greater St. Louis Inc., which promotes business development and economic growth in the region, endorsed Cox Antwi.
'Our sole focus must be getting St. Louis growing again," interim CEO Dustin Allison said in a statement congratulating Cox Antwi on her win. "We believed she was the best candidate to act with focus and urgency to advance policies necessary to drive inclusive growth and move St. Louis forward."
Cox Antwi finished in second place in the 2024 Democratic primary for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, but without securing the lone nomination from the city's Democratic party apparatus, she ran as an independent in this contest.
View KSDK's report here.
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