Mayor of St. Louis

For a list, see List of mayors of St. Louis.

Mayor of the City of St. Louis
Seal of St. Louis, Missouri
Flag of St. Louis, Missouri
Incumbent Cara Spencer since April 15, 2025
Government of St. Louis
Style	The Honorable; Ms. Mayor (informal)
Residence	Private
Seat	St. Louis City Hall
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument	St. Louis City Charter
Inaugural holder	William Carr Lane
Formation	April 14, 1823;202 years ago (1823-04-14)
Succession	President, Board of Aldermen
Salary	$161,881 (2024)
Website	{{Office of the Mayor }}

The mayor of St. Louis is the chief executive officer of St. Louis's city government. The mayor has a duty to enforce city ordinances and the power to either approve or veto city ordinances passed by the Board of Aldermen. ^[1] .

Forty-eight people have held the office, four of whom—William Carr Lane, John Fletcher Darby, John Wimer, and John How—served non-consecutive terms. Lane, the city's first mayor, served the most terms: eight one-year terms plus the unexpired term of Darby. Francis Slay is the longest-serving mayor, having served four 4-year terms. The second-longest-serving mayor was Henry Kiel, who served 12 years and nine days over three terms in office. Two others — Raymond Tucker and Vincent C. Schoemehl — also served three terms, but seven fewer days. The shortest-serving mayor was Arthur Barret, who died 11 days after taking office. The first female mayor was Lyda Krewson, who served from 2017 to 2021.

Duties and powers

The mayor has an office in the St. Louis City Hall

St. Louis was incorporated as a city on December 9, 1822, four months after Missouri was admitted as a state to the Union. In accordance with its new charter, the city changed its governance to a mayor-council format and elected its first mayor, William Carr Lane, on April 7, 1823. ^[2]

Cabinet

Spencer Administration
Office	Name	Term
Mayor	Cara Spencer	2025–present
Chief of Staff	Casey Millburg	2025–present
President, Board of Public Service	Richard T. Bradley, P.E.	2025–present
Supply Commissioner	Chris Carter	2025–present
Court Administrator	Diarra Cross-Davis	2025–present
Director, Department of Public Safety	Shawn Dace	2025–present
Interim City Counselor	Michael Garvin	2025–present
Executive Director, Affordable Housing Commission	April Ford Griffin	2025–present
Director, St. Louis Lambert International Airport	Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge
Director, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry	Greg Hayes	2025–present
Chief Technology Officer	Simon Huang	2025–present
Street Department Director	James Jackson	2025–present
Chief Medical Examiner	Kanayo Tatsumi, M.D.	2025–present
Executive Director, St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE)	Connie Johnson	2025–present
Director of Personnel	Brian Light	2025–present
Director, Civil Rights Enforcement Agency	Dr. Vernon Mitchell, Jr.	2025–present
Executive Director, Community Development Administration	Matt Moak	2025–present
Director, Department of Public Utilities and Water Commissioner	Niraj S. Patel, P.E.	2025–present
Director, Budget Division	Paul Payne	1988–present
Director, Department of Human Services	Adam Pearson	2025–present
Chief Information Officer, (Director of ITSA)	Cindy Riordan	2025–present
Executive Director, Planning and Urban Design Agency	Don Roe	2025–present
Chief Operating Officer	Colonel Benjamin Jonsson	2025–present

Elections

The mayor is elected for four years during the general municipal election, which is held every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April. The candidates are selected through a combined approval voting primary, with the top two advancing to the general. ^[3] The mayor is usually sworn during the first session of the Board of Aldermen two weeks after the election.

Under the original city charter, the mayor was elected to a one-year term. Terms became two years under the 1859 city charter. ^[4] The mayor's office was extended to its present four-year term after passage of the Charter and Scheme in 1876 which separated the City of St. Louis from St. Louis County. ^[5]

Succession

If the office of mayor becomes vacant through death, resignation, recall, or removal by the board of aldermen, the president of the board of aldermen becomes mayor until a special mayoral election can be held; if the office is only temporarily vacant due to disability of the mayor, the president only acts out the duties of mayor. Should both offices be vacant, the vice-president of the board of aldermen becomes mayor. ^[1]

Five people have acted as mayor: Wilson Primm following the resignation of John Darby; Ferdinand W. Cronenbold following the resignation of Chauncey Filley; Herman Rechtien following the death of Arthur Barret; George W. Allen following the resignation of David Francis; and Aloys P. Kaufmann following the death of William Becker.

List of mayors

No. [a]	Mayor		Took office	Left office	Time in office	Election	Party
1		William Carr Lane (1789–1863) 1st time	April 14, 1823	April 14, 1829	6 years, 0 days	1823		Whig
						1824
						1825
						1826
						1827
						1828
2		Daniel Page (1790–1869)	April 14, 1829	November 11, 1833 [b]	4 years, 211 days	1829		Whig
						1830
						1831
						1832
–		Samuel Merry (TBA–TBA) Disputed	Ruled ineligible; did not serve			Apr. 1833 [b]	Unknown
3		John W. Johnston (1774–1854)	November 11, 1833 [b]	April 14, 1835	1 year, 154 days	Nov. 1833		Whig
						1834
4		John Fletcher Darby (1803–1882) 1st time	April 14, 1835	October 31, 1837 [c] [d]	2 years, 200 days	1835		Whig
						1836
						Apr. 1837
–		Wilson Primm (TBA–TBA) Acting	October 31, 1837	November 15, 1837	15 days	– [e]		Whig
(1)		William Carr Lane (1789–1863) 2nd time	November 15, 1837	April 14, 1840	2 years, 151 days	Nov. 1837		Whig
						1838
						1839
(4)		John Fletcher Darby (1803–1882) 2nd time	April 14, 1840	April 13, 1841	364 days	1840		Whig
5		John D. Daggett (1793–1874)	April 13, 1841	April 12, 1842	364 days	1841		Whig
6		George Maguire (1796–1882)	April 12, 1842	April 11, 1843	364 days	1842		Democratic
7		John Wimer (1810–1863) 1st time	April 11, 1843	April 9, 1844	364 days	1843		Democratic
8		Bernard Pratte (1803–1886)	April 9, 1844	April 14, 1846	2 years, 5 days	1844		Whig
						1845
9		Peter G. Camden (1801–1873)	April 14, 1846	April 13, 1847	364 days	1846		American
10		Bryan Mullanphy (1809–1851)	April 13, 1847	April 11, 1848	364 days	1847		Democratic
11		John M. Krum (1810–1883)	April 10, 1848	April 10, 1849	1 year, 0 days	1848		Democratic
12		James G. Barry (1800–1880)	April 10, 1849	April 9, 1850	364 days	1849		Democratic
13		Luther Martin Kennett (1807–1873)	April 9, 1850	April 12, 1853	3 years, 3 days	1850		Whig
						1851
						1852
14		John How (c. 1813–1885) 1st time	April 12, 1853	April 10, 1855	1 year, 363 days	1853		Democratic
						1854
15		Washington King (1815–1861)	April 10, 1855	April 15, 1856	1 year, 5 days	1855		American
(14)		John How (c. 1813–1885) 2nd time	April 15, 1856	April 14, 1857	364 days	1856		Democratic
(7)		John Wimer (1810–1863) 2nd time	April 14, 1857	April 13, 1858	364 days	1857		Democratic
16		Oliver Filley (1806–1881)	April 13, 1858	April 9, 1861	2 years, 361 days	1858		Republican
						1859
17		Daniel G. Taylor (1819–1878)	April 9, 1861	April 14, 1863	2 years, 5 days	1861		Republican
18		Chauncey Ives Filley (1829–1923)	April 14, 1863	March 19, 1864 [c] [f]	340 days	1863		Republican
–		Ferdinand W. Cronenbold (TBA–TBA) Acting	March 19, 1864	April 11, 1864	23 days	– [g]	Unknown
19		James S. Thomas (1802–1874)	April 11, 1864	April 13, 1869	5 years, 2 days	1864 special		Republican
						1865
						1867
20		Nathan Cole (1825–1904)	April 13, 1869	April 11, 1871	1 year, 363 days	1869		Republican
21		Joseph Brown (1823–1899)	April 11, 1871	April 13, 1875	4 years, 2 days	1871		War Democrat
						1873
22		Arthur Barret (1836–1875)	April 13, 1875	April 24, 1875 [h]	11 days	Apr. 1875		Democratic
–		Herman Rechtien (TBA–TBA) Acting	April 24, 1875	May 29, 1875	35 days	– [i]	Unknown
23		James H. Britton (1817–1900)	May 29, 1875	February 9, 1876 [j]	256 days	May 1875		Democratic
24		Henry Overstolz (1821–1887)	February 9, 1876 [j]	April 12, 1881	5 years, 62 days	May 1875		Independent
						1877
25		William L. Ewing (1843–1905)	April 12, 1881	April 14, 1885	4 years, 2 days	1881		Republican
26		David R. Francis (1850–1927)	April 14, 1885	January 2, 1889 [c] [k]	3 years, 263 days	1885		Democratic
–		George W. Allen (TBA–TBA) Acting	January 2, 1889	April 6, 1889	94 days	– [l]		Democratic
27		Edward A. Noonan (1852–1927)	April 6, 1889	April 8, 1893	4 years, 2 days	1889		Democratic
28		Cyrus Walbridge (1849–1921)	April 8, 1893	April 10, 1897	4 years, 2 days	1893		Republican
29		Henry Ziegenhein (c. 1845–1910)	April 10, 1897	April 9, 1901	3 years, 364 days	1897		Republican
30		Rolla Wells (1856–1944)	April 9, 1901	April 13, 1909	8 years, 4 days	1901		Democratic
						1905
31		Frederick Kreismann (1869–1944)	April 13, 1909	April 12, 1913	3 years, 364 days	1909		Republican
32		Henry Kiel (1871–1942)	April 12, 1913	April 21, 1925	12 years, 9 days	1913		Republican
						1917
						1921
33		Victor J. Miller (1888–1955)	April 21, 1925	April 18, 1933	7 years, 362 days	1925		Republican
						1929
34		Bernard F. Dickmann (1888–1971)	April 18, 1933	April 15, 1941	7 years, 362 days	1933		Democratic
						1937
35		William D. Becker (1876–1943)	April 15, 1941	August 1, 1943 [h]	2 years, 108 days	1941		Republican
–		Aloys P. Kaufmann (1902–1984)	August 1, 1943	TBA	TBA	– [m]		Republican
36			TBA	April 19, 1949	TBA	1944 special
37		Joseph Darst (1889–1953)	April 19, 1949	April 21, 1953	4 years, 2 days	1949		Democratic
38		Raymond Tucker (1896–1970)	April 21, 1953	April 20, 1965	11 years, 364 days	1953		Democratic
						1957
						1961
39		Alfonso J. Cervantes (1920–1983)	April 20, 1965	April 17, 1973	7 years, 362 days	1965		Democratic
						1969
40		John Poelker (1913–1990)	April 17, 1973	April 19, 1977	4 years, 2 days	1973		Democratic
41		James F. Conway (1932–2025)	April 19, 1977	April 21, 1981	4 years, 2 days	1977		Democratic
42		Vincent C. Schoemehl (born 1946)	April 21, 1981	April 20, 1993	11 years, 364 days	1981		Democratic
						1985
						1989
43		Freeman Bosley Jr. (born 1954)	April 20, 1993	April 15, 1997	3 years, 360 days	1993		Democratic
44		Clarence Harmon (born 1940)	April 15, 1997	April 17, 2001	4 years, 2 days	1997		Democratic
45		Francis Slay (born 1955)	April 17, 2001	April 18, 2017	16 years, 1 day	2001		Democratic
						2005
						2009
						2013
46		Lyda Krewson (born 1953)	April 18, 2017	April 20, 2021	4 years, 2 days	2017		Democratic
47		Tishaura Jones (born 1972)	April 20, 2021	April 15, 2025	3 years, 360 days	2021		Democratic
48		Cara Spencer (born 1978)	April 15, 2025	Incumbent	291 days	2025		Democratic

The Mayor of St. Louis has an office on the second floor of City Hall.

Notes

1. 47 people have served as mayor, with four serving non-consecutive terms; the table includes these non-consecutive terms as well.
2. Samuel Merry was elected mayor of St. Louis in April 1833; however, his eligibility was questioned by the City Council as he was a federal officer—United States Receiver of Public Moneys in St. Louis. Merry filed suit to force the council's compliance and in October 1833, he was ruled ineligible by the Missouri Supreme Court. ^[6] Johnston was elected mayor in a special mayoral election held a month later on November 9. Page continued to serve as mayor until the case was settled and Johnston elected. ^{[7] [8]}
3. Resigned from office.
4. Darby resigned from office. William Carr Lane was later elected to fill the vacancy. ^[9]
5. As president of the Board of Aldermen, Primm acted as mayor following the resignation of Darby. ^[10]
6. Filley resigned due to poor health. ^{[11] [12]}
7. As president of the Board of Common Council, Cronenbold acted as mayor following the resignation of Chauncey Filley.
8. Died in office.
9. As president of the City Council, Rechtin acted as mayor following the death of Arthur Barret. ^{[13] [14]}
10. Henry Overstolz was declared defeated by James Britton in the 1875 election, but contested the election and was seated as mayor nine months later after a recount of the ballots. ^[15]
11. Resigned to become Governor of Missouri. ^[16]
12. As president of the City Council, Allen acted as mayor following the resignation of David Francis. ^{[16] [17]}
13. As president of the Board of Aldermen, Kaufmann became mayor following the death of William Becker. He was later elected mayor, in a special mayoral election in November 1944, to fill Becker's unexpired term. ^[18]

References

General

• "St. Louis Mayors". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on June 6, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
• "Laws of the City of St. Louis". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
• Cornwell, Charles H. (1965). St. Louis Mayors: Brief Biographies. St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis Public Library.
• Reavis, L. U. (1876). Saint Louis: The Future Great City of the World (Centennial ed.). St. Louis: C. R. Barns. pp.  74–77. OCLC   2186198 . Retrieved July 2, 2008.
• Stevens, Walter Barlow (1911). St. Louis: The Fourth City, 1764-1911. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. pp.  91–123. OCLC   9351989 . Retrieved August 22, 2008.

Charters

• "St. Louis City Charter". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2008.
• The Scheme of Separation Between St. Louis City and County and the Charter of the City of St. Louis, with All Amendments and Modifications to May 1, 1902: And Constitutional Provisions Specially Applicable to the City of St. Louis. St. Louis: Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co. 1902. OCLC   19450592 . Retrieved September 2, 2008.
• The Ordinances of the City of St. Louis. St. Louis: George Knapp & Co., Printers and Binders. 1861. Retrieved September 2, 2008.

Specific

1. "St. Louis City Charter, Article VII". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
2. Conard, Howard Louis (1901). Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri. Vol. 1. New York; Louisville; St. Louis: The Southern History Company. pp. 569–572. OCLC   32872107.
3. Schlinkmann, Mark (March 1, 2021). "St. Louis mayoral candidates, voters deal with new rules in Tuesday's primary". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
4. "St. Louis Mayors: Oliver D. Filley". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
5. "St. Louis Mayors: Henry Overstolz". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
6. State v. Samuel Merry(Mo.1833), Text.
7. "St. Louis Mayors: John W. Johnston". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
8. Shepard, Elihu Hotchkiss (1870). The Early History of St. Louis and Missouri. Saint Louis: Southwestern Book and Publishing Company. p.  112. OCLC   2804761 . Retrieved September 3, 2008.
9. Stevens, Walter Barlow (1911). St. Louis: The Fourth City, 1764-1911. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. p.  112. OCLC   9351989 . Retrieved August 22, 2008.
10. "Proceedings of the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis". Daily Commercial Bulletin and Missouri Literary Register. December 2, 1837.
11. "St. Louis Mayors: Chauncey I. Filley". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
12. "Resignation of the Mayor". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis. March 16, 1864. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
13. "Arthur B. Barret. The Mayor's Illness Results in Death This Morning". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . April 24, 1875.
14. "A Municipal Row". The Inter Ocean . May 19, 1875.
15. "St. Louis Mayors: James H. Britton". St. Louis Public Library. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
16. "The City Hall Change". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 2, 1889. p. 10.
17. "Next Municipal Chief". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 2, 1889. p. 2.
18. "Aloys P. Kaufmann". The New York Times . February 15, 1984. Retrieved July 17, 2008.

External links

• "Missouri City Directories: St. Louis Directories, Gazetteers, Rosters and Guides", Missouri Digital Heritage, Missouri Secretrary of State