ST. LOUIS (AP) — The next mayor of St. Louis will face the same overwhelming challenge that has haunted the current mayor and many of her predecessors: Violent crime is rampant, and efforts to address it have failed. Four mayoral candidates will square off in a primary election Tuesday, with the top two vote-getters meeting in a general election in April. Whoever wins faces a daunting task. The homicide rate in St. Louis has been among the worst in the nation dating to at least the 1990s. Beyond the heartbreak for the victims and their families, the crime drives away residents and business.
Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen, delivers a brief speech at a Democratic presidential primary election watch party at McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in St. Louis. Reed is one of four candidates seeking to replace retiring St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. (Lexi Browning/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
In this undated photo, Republican candidate for St. Louis Mayor Andrew Jones poses in St. Louis. Jones is one of four candidates seeking to replace retiring St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. (Brad Arteaga via AP)
Alderwoman Cara Spencer speaks at a gathering with community members and STL Not for Sale on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, in St. Louis. Spencer is one of four candidates seeking to replace retiring St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. (Chris Kohley/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones speaks at a press conference at City Hall, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, in St. Louis, Mo. Jones is one of four candidates seeking to replace retiring Mayor Lyda Krewson. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
