Jami Cox Antwi has picked up several big endorsements in the five-way race to replace Mayor Cara Spencer on the Board of Alderman—with the biggest coming from Spencer herself.
Dan Guenther, who is the liaison to the Board for the Spencer administration, confirms the mayor is supporting Antwi. In the wake of Spencer’s victory, Guenther says he got calls from more than 20 people interested in his current boss’ seat at the Board of Alderman. A former alderman himself, Guenther says he explained to each one what they’d actually be signing up for. “Not just the legislative aspect of it, the work that goes into writing board bills and writing legislation for the city, but also how much work goes into the neighborhood association meetings, the constituent service, the phone calls, the emails,” he says. “All you do is live and breathe and sleep the ward. So out of those over 20 people, quite a few of them [said], like, ‘Oh, okay, well, this isn’t for me.’”
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There were five or so people who Guenther couldn’t talk out of the endeavor, and they each met with a group of Ward 8 residents. That group passed their top two choices onto Spencer, who decided after a phone call with Antwi that she’d be supporting her.
Guenther says what really made Antwi stand out was that she seemed to have a strong sense of the entire ward, which includes parts of 13 neighborhoods.
“Mount Pleasant’s needs are very different from Lafayette Square’s. Downtown’s needs are very different than Peabody’s,” he says. “Two of the [other] candidates in particular were very good, very knowledgeable, but only knew the circle they were in. They didn’t have a larger vision and a larger lived experience. We felt Jami did.” He cites Antwi’s background in finance and affordable housing as well as the fact that she could have gone anywhere after graduating from Vanderbilt University, but instead chose to come back to St. Louis.
In addition to the mayor, Antwi also has the support of former Alderman James Page, who used to represent downtown, as well as former Alderwoman Phyllis Young, who used to represent Soulard. Guenther himself used to represent Benton Park on the Board. She’s also picked up the endorsement of the LiUNA Laborers Local 42 union.
“I’m honored to be backed by community members who have over 30 years of leadership serving the 8th ward,” Antwi tells SLM. “I am committed to bringing my own ideas and values to the role while honoring their legacy.”
Aldermanic President Megan Green’s Progress PAC has sent out mailers on behalf of Shedrick “Nato Caliph” Kelley, who also has the backing of the city’s Democratic Central Committee, making him the official Democrat in the race.
Last week, SLM reported that Antwi and fellow candidate Alecia Hoyt were upset over the central committee blocking their access to the Voter Activation Network, a Democratic Party database that helps campaigns more efficiently canvas. Central committee chair Sean Fauss has since defended his decision, saying that, “All we are doing is allowing the Democratic candidate to have access to the database. Typically, only the Democratic candidate has access.”
He says that any discontent should be directed at Proposition D, which voters approved in 2020 and which makes most—but not all—city elections nonpartisan. Vacancies like the one created by Spencer’s ascension appear to be one of the few places where the city’s charter still empowers the old party-based apparatus that once had more control over St. Louis elections. “If you’re going to redo the whole system, you should probably figure out what you’re going to do in the event of an aldermanic vacancy,” Fauss says.
Access to the database may be more important than the committee’s endorsement. Unlike in the years before Prop D, election officials say, the committee’s endorsement does not mean that Kelley will have a party affiliation next to his name on the ballot.
Kelley ran for the ward seat in 2023, coming in third in the primary. Spencer ultimately won. Antwi previously ran for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, losing to state Rep. Marty Joe Murray (D-St. Louis).
One City Hall insider says that despite Kelley’s third place finish two years ago, he likes his odds. Though, this insider adds: “It’s hard to handicap a race in which so few votes are going to be cast.”
Asked what turnout might be, this insider pointed out that this is “a special election in a low-turnout ward in the middle of the summer.”
On the other hand, other than Kelley, all the other candidates had to collect signatures just to get on the ballot, a sort of pre-campaign that boosts awareness. Those candidates have also been raising money.
So about that turnout prediction? This insider says: “I’d say 15.”
