It’s been more than two and a half years since former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown, in August 2014. The ensuing civil unrest brought international scrutiny to the north St. Louis County municipality and thrust Mayor James Knowles III into a spotlight brighter than most local politicians face.
Now, for the first time since Brown’s death, Knowles is running for re-election, seeking a third term. “These past three years have been very difficult, but I’ve been the one who has shown I can lead through tough times,” Knowles told the Associated Press. “That I can take the heat but also make the changes, the reforms necessary to make the community move forward.”
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
Though Wilson was not indicted by a grand jury, the Justice Department released a scathing report alleging that Ferguson’s police department and municipal courts were guilty of racial profiling and bias against African-Americans. In the wake of the Brown shooting, the police chief, a municipal judge, city attorney, and city manager resigned. While some residents called for Knowles to resign, he refused.
Two years ago, Ella Jones successfully ran for a seat on the Ferguson City Council, making her the first African-American woman to serve in that role. (Ferguson had just one African-American council member before the April 2015 election; it now has three, including Jones.) She is now seeking to become the city’s first African-American mayor.
Jones recently told USA Today that Knowles is a reminder of the “division and racism” in Ferguson that the world came to know. “We need a fresh start,” she said.“I don’t know how we do that if he remains as mayor.”
The city entered a consent decree with the Justice Department that targets its police department and municipal court for changes—one reason Knowles contends he should remain in office. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board agreed in its endorsement for his re-election, writing, “We believe incumbent Mayor Knowles is the best choice to keep Ferguson on track. Knowles has immersed himself in the rigorous Justice Department negotiating process. He is not starry-eyed about what the mayor’s office can deliver under tight budgetary constraints.” It added that during a joint interview with Knowles, “Jones struggled to answer basic governance questions and seemed ill-prepared to take on the formidable challenges of the office.”
In April 2015, the St. Louis American “strongly endorsed” Jones and two other African-American candidates for city council. Last month, the paper wrote, “While Jones…may not be the perfect candidate to become Ferguson’s first black mayor, she has the distinct advantage of not being Knowles, who works in a license office when not being America’s most notorious small-town mayor.”
Saint Louis University political scientist Ken Warren told the Associated Press, “If the black community is organized and motivated, they should be able to elect Jones, since the black population is about 68 percent.”
