Government, Politics & Issues

St. Louis Board of Aldermen races are set for April 2025 — Here's who's on the ballot

St. Louis Public Radio | By Lacretia Wimbley

Published March 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM CST

The St. Louis City Hall — Several candidates are competing to fill key positions at St. Louis City Hall, pictured in May 2022, including mayor, comptroller and half of the city's Board of Aldermen.

The field of aldermanic candidates is set for St. Louis’ April 8 general election. Voters will select representatives for the Board of Aldermen’s seven odd-numbered wards.

Only two wards had contested primaries in the March 4 primary. Ward 3 candidates Shane Cohn and Dallas Adams and Ward 11 candidates Laura Keys and Rebecca McCloud earned spots on the April ballot.

The city uses a nonpartisan approval voting system for its primary elections, in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. If there are fewer than three candidates running for a seat, they automatically advance.

Voters can expect to see the following board candidates on the general election ballot:

Ward 1 candidates

Anne Schweitzer

Schweitzer is the Ward 1 alderwoman, elected in 2021.
If re-elected, she pledges to continue championing issues for city employees, the safety and vitality of neighborhoods, the city’s Water Division and road improvements.
Schweitzer was born and raised in south city and lives in the 1st Ward with her husband and their cats and chickens. Her family has a history of local public service and instilled in her a passion for serving the city, she said.
Link to campaign site

Tony Kirchner

Until recently, Kirchner has served as deputy sheriff in the St. Louis Sheriff's Department for 12 years and was the department’s crisis intervention instructor.
Sheriff Alfred Montgomery fired Kirchner after his opponent, Schweitzer, sent photos purported to show him campaigning at a neighborhood meeting while wearing a sheriff’s hat, a violation of state law. Kirchner is suing Montgomery for defamation.
He spent four years in the Navy aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.
His top priorities if elected include reducing gun violence, ensuring police have proper training and resources and restoring basic city services — including advocating that city employees are paid fair wages.
Link to campaign site

Ward 3 candidates

Shane Cohn

Cohn is seeking his sixth term representing the 3rd Ward. He is the second-longest-tenured active member of the board.
He has a professional background in human resources.
He said his experience at City Hall makes him best equipped to address the needs of the 3rd Ward, which he said mirror those of the rest of the city — public safety, economic development and basic city services.
Link to campaign site

Dallas Adams

Adams resigned from her job as communications director of Great Rivers Greenway to run for office.
She’s touted her history working closely with several nonprofits in the Dutchtown neighborhood, including Dutchtown Main Street, the neighborhood’s Community Improvement District and the Thomas Dunn Learning Center.
Adams said the 3rd Ward needs someone who will focus on reducing vacancy and blight.
Link to campaign site

Ward 5 candidate

Matthew Devoti, an attorney and partner at Casey, Devoti & Brockland, is running to represent St. Louis’ 5th Ward.

Matt Devoti

Devoti lives in Ward 5’s Hill neighborhood, where he has chaired the Safety and Security Committee for the past four years.
He is a lawyer and partner in the firm of Casey, Devoti & Brockland. Devoti said neighborhoods are the “backbone” of St. Louis.
He believes the residents of the 5th Ward deserve streets that are safe, well-protected and supported by responsive police and emergency services equipped with the latest technology.
Link to campaign site

Ward 7 candidates

Alisha Sonnier

Sonnier is the alderwoman for the 7th Ward.
As a former Board of Education member, she helped to pass raises for teachers. She said a holistic approach to public safety is needed to get to the root of crime, which she said is closely tied to poverty.
Sonnier said she prides herself on being intentional about engaging with the community about projects before any vote or recommendation.
Link to campaign site

Cedric Redmon

Redmon has lived in the 7th Ward for six of the nine years he’s been in St. Louis. He works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he said he gained team-building, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
He plans to prioritize civil services like bulk trash pickup, beautification and street cleaning as well as creating a small-business friendly environment in the 7th Ward.
If elected, Redmon promises to provide meaningful dialogue and tangible plans that will improve neighborhood stability.
Link to campaign site

Ward 9 candidate

Michael Browning

Browning is the alderman for the 9th Ward.
His platform calls for ensuring people aren’t evicted illegally or without representation and strengthening protections for workers seeking to unionize. He previously worked as a grant specialist at Washington University’s School of Medicine.
Browning said he’s committed to being responsive, proactive, knowledgeable and hard-working. He lives in Forest Park with his wife, two dogs and a cat.
Link to campaign site

Ward 11 candidates

Laura Keys

Keys is the alderwoman for the 11th Ward. She was also the longtime Democratic committeewoman of the former 21st Ward.
Development is a priority for Keys, but she said the city first needs to focus on stabilizing or tearing down old buildings and cleaning up vacant lots to “make the place ready to receive” development.
Keys said her work as an active participant in government — “not just a spectator” — means she is in the best position to bring development to all parts of the ward.
Link to campaign site

Rebecca McCloud

McCloud has a professional background in insurance sales and works for Spectrum.
She said her priority as alderwoman will be to bring development to north St. Louis. She would also focus on community mental health to address the neighborhood trauma.
McCloud said she has the relationships on both the local and state levels to work for her constituents.
Link to campaign site

Ward 13 candidate

Alderwoman Pam Boyd, of the 27th Ward, on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, during the final regular meeting for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen at City Hall. — Alderwoman Pam Boyd during a St. Louis Board of Aldermen meeting at City Hall

Pamela Boyd

Boyd is the alderwoman for the 13th Ward. She was previously alderwoman for the 27th Ward and a longtime Democratic committeewoman.
Boyd pledges to continue addressing gun violence and crime, ensuring trash is removed in a timely manner, supporting youth initiatives and promoting senior citizen home repair programs.
She vows to support funding for small business development, senior and veteran housing.
Link to campaign site