Alderwoman Megan Green trounced Alderman Jack Coater in their race to replace convicted felon Lewis Reed as president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
Green won almost 55% of the vote, recording a larger margin of victory over Coater than in their first battle during a special election in September.
“The votes are in, and the people have spoken,” Green wrote on her campaign Facebook page following the victory.
“We are ready to build a St. Louis that works for everyone. Big moments like our win tonight are made possible because of big movements.”
Green’s numerous endorsements included support from Mayor Tishaura Jones and Congresswoman Cori Bush. Coatar was backed by several major developers and traditional Democratic supporters including former mayors Francis Slay and Lyda Krewson.
“Today, St. Louis chose collaboration over confrontation. St. Louis chose progress over the status quo. I’ve worked alongside Megan Green for many years and appreciate her dedication to addressing the root causes of the problems facing our city, not just the symptoms,” Jones said in a statement.
“Together, we can work to reimagine public safety, invest our federal resources to make change St. Louisans can feel, and reform the development incentive processes [Lewis Reed] exploited for personal gain.
“Congratulations to Megan on becoming the first woman elected President of the Board of Aldermen. The city’s top three decision makers, for the first time in St. Louis history, will be women. That’s something we should celebrate, and I look forward to collaborating with President-elect Green and Comptroller Green to make St. Louis a place that works for everyone – no matter your background or the color of your skin.”
Green wrote “we didn’t have the most money in this race, but we did knock on more doors and made more calls. It showed. This was a grassroots effort and a grassroots campaign.
“It will continue to be, though my fundraiser reminded me that grassroots cost money, too.
And we are going to need it. We get to do this all over again in March.”
Reed’s term expired in 2023, and the primary/election process begins in March. Coater did not announce on Tuesday if he would again challenge Green.
“Tonight’s vote was loud: no more excuses, no broken promises. No more of yesterday’s solutions. I recommit myself to you, to your family, to your neighborhood, and to your dream of what this City and your life in it can be,” she wrote.
“We proved that the people who love this city outnumber those who would sell her for parts. Real progress leaves nobody out. Every person, in every corner, every ward, every zip code, every neighborhood, for everyone. That’s what we did today. And I’m so excited to get started.