A major endorsement was announced this morning in the St. Louis mayoral race.
Mayor Francis Slay revealed he will be voting for Ald. Lyda Krewson. In a video released on Krewson’s YouTube page, Slay (who is not running for reelection this year) says that although all the mayoral candidates have the city’s best interests in mind, he believes one “has what it takes to do the job.”
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.
“Lyda really understands the complexities of managing a billion-dollar budget,” Slay says in the video. “I know Lyda will always do what’s in the best interests of our city. She’s a leader, and she’s not afraid to make the tough decisions. When Lyda’s husband was killed in a car-jacking, she didn’t pack her bags and run from the city. She immersed herself in our community to help make St. Louis a better place to raise a family.”
A Missouri Times poll from mid-January revealed Krewson has a firm lead over her competitors—such as Board of Aldermen president Lewis Reed, Ald. Antonio French, and St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones—with 27 percent of the vote. Krewson is an alderwoman for the 28th Ward and the chief financial officer for PGVA Architects in downtown St. Louis. She’s served on the Board of Aldermen for the past 20 years.
Krewson recently rebuked President Donald Trump‘s executive order banning refugees from entering the United States.
“I believe our diversity is our strength, and we are a welcoming city,” Krewson says. “Of course I support St. Louis becoming a sanctuary city. We need to understand the impact of that policy on the funding, which protects our most vulnerable citizens. We have to do it right.”
The primary election for St. Louis mayor will take place March 7, and the general election will take place April 4.
