Retired utility executive Andrew Jones is persistent.
The 2025 mayoral election marks the third time he has run for the office. He lost in the general election in 2017 and in the nonpartisan primary in 2021. He was also the Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District in 2024, receiving 18% of the vote.
But Jones said on the latest episode of the Politically Speaking podcast that his consistent message will break through this election cycle.
“President Lincoln lost multiple times running for Senate,” he said. Running multiple times “gives you an opportunity to show people that you want to stick to things, and to solve problems, and you won’t give up.”
The path to victory, Jones said, is a straightforward message about change.
“When we talk to the people, they're saying they want change, and if they want change, you only have one option … because all three are involved with the city,” he said of his opponents in the March primary.
He is running against the incumbent, Tishaura Jones, 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer and Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler.
Andrew Jones said change is needed to save the city.
“As things get worse, you don’t want to see the city perish,” he said. “We're just hoping that at some particular point in time, before the light goes out, that we will be able to get our message across, and people will buy into it.”
Jones said he is using his own money for the campaign and is raising enough to have a creative digital strategy.
“And certainly, if you give me an opportunity to speak in front of any group of people, I certainly believe I win today, because our message is true, our message is sincere, and the person that's delivering it does a good job,” he said.
Jones’ positions have not changed much since 2017. He touts his experience as a businessman, someone who can put together and implement an economic development plan.
“I still know how to solve problems,” he said. “I know how to help with community development as well, and I’ve certainly been supportive of the police.”
But Jones expressed doubts about the recent crime numbers, which show it down overall 15% in the city from 2023 to 2024, with homicides at their lowest level since 2013. Other offenses, however, like shootings, are up.
When asked what evidence he had that the numbers are wrong, Jones said, “My evidence is that I'm suspicious that they're wrong.”
“I know the history of the City of St Louis and the corruption that exists in the City of St Louis, and it surmises that we should not trust those numbers,” he said. “Trust but verify. And I need to verify that.”
In response to similar allegations leveled by a state senator during a recent committee hearing over bills returning control of the department to a state-appointed board, Chief Robert Tracy called them “very disappointing.”
“You're disparaging all the good work of these officers that have been doing day in and day out,” Tracy said. “I stand by my statistics.”
Snow removal
Jones was conciliatory to the mayor over the city’s response to an early January snowstorm that left side streets covered in ice more than two weeks after the snow stopped falling.
While the city could have had a better response, he said, had she made the decision to plow the side streets, people would have been upset about having to dig out their cars.
“You block people in, she would be the devil because of that as well,” he said. “I believe that people are trying to make sure that she gets out of office.”
He added that he would have improved the city’s response by working collectively with the county and bordering municipalities to get the side streets clear, similar to how crews from utility companies will help out after a natural disaster.
Rams settlement money
Jones was much less impressed with current proposals to use the settlement over the departure of the Rams to Los Angeles.
“We need to divvy this thing up and work on infrastructure,” he said. “Infrastructure is a big, big issue, and we can relax some of the spending notions related to it, but we certainly don’t want to spend all that money. It’s a windfall. I don’t really believe people really understand that this isn’t coming back again.”
The primary, in which the top two vote-getters will move on to the April 8 general election, is March 4. Early voting begins Feb. 18.
Editor’s note: Mayor Tishaura Jones appeared on Politically Speaking in January. Episodes with Butler and Spencer will be posted this month.
