Tonight, two firsts in Ferguson: City councilwoman Ella Jones has won the Ferguson mayor’s race, the first African-American and the first woman to do so. Jones beat out fellow city councilwoman Heather Robinett with 54 percent of the vote.
In 2015, Jones ran for a seat on the council and won, making her the first African-American woman to serve in that role. Jones then ran against current Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III in 2017, the first election after unarmed teenager Michael Brown was fatally shot by police officer Darren Wilson in 2014. Brown’s death sparked protests and demonstrations across the nation. A subsequent report from the Justice Department alleged that the Ferguson police and municipal courts engaged in racial profiling, and when some residents demanded that Knowles resign, he didn’t, winning reelection in April 2017.
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Knowles, who was first elected mayor in 2011, could not seek reelection due to term limits.
According to the city of Ferguson’s website, Jones has lived in the town for more than 40 years. She graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a degree in chemistry and previously worked for Washington University. She also attended the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and completed training in municipal leadership. She earned a certificate from the Municipal Governance Institute after she was elected to the city council.
Jones’ platform is focused on moving the region forward after the events of 2014. That includes developing a community engagement strategy with an engagement coordinator and hiring qualified police officers.
