St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a City Hall press conference on Wednesday.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson laughs after a cellphone rings during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the mayor’s office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Cheyenne Boone
The Rev. Darryl Gray sits at the intersection of Market Street and Tucker Boulevard for minutes of silence in memory of those killed by police officers, near City Hall in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Protesters announced plans to camp in front of the building until their demands were met and Mayor Lyda Krewson resigns. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Robert Cohen
Demonstrators mingle under tents they put up outside St. Louis City Hall as part of a movement to get St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson to resign on Friday, July 17, 2020. Demonstrators said one reason they want the mayor to resign is for reading the names and addresses of protesters on her Facebook live stream. Photo by Chris Kohley, ckohley@post-dispatch.com
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s first term in office will be her last.
“A new mayor will lead us forward,†Krewson said in a surprise announcement from City Hall on Wednesday that she will retire at the conclusion of her term in 2021 and will not file to run for reelection in the spring.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished, but elections are about the future,†she said. “And I know that in St. Louis we have the talent and the heart to build a better St. Louis.â€
A longtime alderman, Krewson won the 2017 general election, becoming the city’s first female mayor, after edging out Treasurer Tishaura Jones in the seven-person Democratic primary.
Under her tenure, the city saw a burst of new development, especially in the city’s central corridor. The renovation of Union Station,including the opening of the St. Louis Aquarium, continued investment in the Cortex Innovation District and the relocation of Square to downtown are among projects that happened during her watch. She was mayor when the ribbon was cut for the renovated Gateway Arch grounds and when ground was broken for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. She also put in motion plans and funding to address the city’s daunting vacancy and blight problem.
But much of her tenure also fell under the shadow of roiling civil unrest amid protests for reform and racial justice, federal investigations into police misconduct, a declining population, the failed Better Together effort to combine the city and St. Louis County, and a push to privatize operations at the city-owned St. Louis Lambert International Airport — all before the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic hit the region in March. A dramatic spike in homicides this year added to the misery. COVID has claimed 223 lives so far in the city; murder has taken 232.
A self-described political moderate, Krewson faced fierce criticism from activists, progressives and Black officials who called for bolder leadership and were angry with her administration’s response to protests after the 2017 acquittal of former St. Louis police Officer Jason Stockley. Some critics also questioned her alliance with Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, in her successful effort to end residency requirements for police.
Activists protesting Krewson’s decisions targeted her home in the Central West End, and in recent months, camped out at City Hall, calling on the mayor to resign. She angered protesters after she read aloud their names and addresses during a news conference; she later apologized.
“I think when you run for this office, you have to understand the pain of where protests come from, and when you run for this job, you take that on as well,†Krewson said Wednesday, pushing back against questions that the controversies influenced her decision to retire.
She also denied that a change in how city elections will be conducted next spring — including approval voting and a separate runoff election for the top two candidates — affected her decision. In 2017, because of the large field of candidates, Krewson prevailed with just 32% of the vote in the Democratic primary. But, in the heavily Democratic city, she cruised to victory in the general election.
On Wednesday, Krewson said she thought a runoff was “a good idea†and believed she would have been a viable candidate had she decided to run.
“I believe there absolutely is a path to winning this,†she said, “so it wasn’t about that, it really was about looking forward and thinking about what you want to do next.â€
Krewson never formally announced she was a candidate for reelection, but did tell a television interviewer in January she was “absolutely†planning on running. But, after celebrating her 68th birthday last weekend, she decided it was time to retire from public office.
“These are decisions that evolve over time,†Krewson said Wednesday. “Having a birthday this past weekend, it does make you stop and think.â€
Most St. Louis mayors in recent decades have served just one four-year term, with the exception of Vincent Schoemehl, who was mayor from 1981 to 1993, and Krewson’s predecessor, Francis Slay, who served a record 16 years.
Krewson was the first candidate to enter the race in 2016 after Slay, in a surprise announcement, said he wouldn’t seek a fifth term.
She raised the most money of any candidate, bringing in more than $1.25 million, on a campaign centered on public safety, including a call to hire more officers and give police a raise, and her image as a candidate who would usher in new economic development.
23 years of service
A longtime alderman in the city’s 28th Ward, Krewson started her political career in the 1980s, working first as a precinct captain in her neighborhood. In 1989, she ran for St. Louis School Board but lost to a candidate backed by a white supremacist group.
Her life was forever changed in 1995 when her husband, Jeff Krewson, was fatally shot during a carjacking in front of their Central West End home. Krewson and her two children, 2-year-old Jack and 5-year-old Taylor, were in the back seat.
Two years later, she won her first election to the Board of Aldermen. She married Mike Owens, a television reporter, in 1998.
“Lots of folks suggested we move, but I knew that taking my kids away from the great neighbors that we had, their playmates, and their school, was not the best move for our family,†she said Wednesday. “We stayed. And a couple of years later I decided to try to make our great neighborhood better.â€
As an alderman, Krewson became the point person on the development boom of more than a decade in the Central West End. In 2003, Krewson took out a home equity loan to help an unsuccessful fight against the state’s concealed carry law. In 2011, she took the lead in the city’s successful six-month effort to pass a smoking ban.
“Wanting to ban smoking? At one time that was radical,†Krewson said Wednesday, in response to criticism that she wasn’t bold enough in the executive office.
“I think I am a moderate, there is no doubt about that, and I think that serves the largest percentage of people the best.â€
Krewson cited recent investments in alternative efforts to combat gun violence, including prevention efforts, expanding summer jobs programs and funding nonprofits’ efforts to de-escalate conflicts.
She also touted “over 10 billion in development†in projects including the NGA, the new SSM St. Louis University hospital, the Major League Soccer stadium, and a range of apartment and housing projects.
“I think I’ve done some things that have made a big difference, and I’m very proud of the accomplishments of the last four years and the 19 before that,†she said.
Krewson on Wednesday also highlighted her efforts to steer the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing testing and protective equipment, rental and mortgage assistance, halting evictions until 2021, and disbursing federal aid among small businesses impacted by the virus.
Also on her agenda in her remaining time in office: addressing gun violence, and ensuring development projects stay on track, she said.
Krewson declined Wednesday to endorse any possible mayoral candidate, but said she was excited for more women to fill the role after she became the first.
“Many future mayors will be women,†she said, “and the comments about pearls, hairstyles, and whether it’s mayoral to carry a purse will all fade away.â€
Reaction
Jones, who announced two weeks ago she was running for mayor again, issued a statement thanking Krewson for “her service to our city.â€
“To any supporter of Mayor Krewson, know that I will be working over the coming months to earn your vote and earn your support,†Jones said.
Alderman Cara Spencer, who announced her candidacy for mayor in January, said, “I know her heart was in the right place and her love for this city is genuine. I wish her the best in her retirement.â€
Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, who says he’s leaning toward another run for mayor, said in a statement, “It has been an honor to work alongside her at the Board of Aldermen and most recently as a member of the Board of Estimate & Apportionment. Her dedication and commitment to the City of St. Louis has never wavered. I congratulate her on her retirement and wish her well in the years ahead.â€
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, the first woman elected to the office, thanked Krewson in a tweet. “As the city’s first woman elected as Comptroller, it has been my honor to serve alongside our first woman elected as Mayor. I salute Lyda Krewson’s many years of service to the people of St. Louis. Congratulations and best wishes in retirement!â€
County Executive Sam Page, in a statement, commended Krewson for leading the city “through difficult times. I’m grateful for Lyda’s friendship and regional leadership.â€
St. Louis mayors’ terms since 1901
Mayor
Start year
End year
Total years
Rolla Wells
1901
1909
8
Frederick H. Kreismann
1909
1913
4
Henry Kiel
1913
1925
12
Victor J. Miller
1925
1933
8
Bernard F. Dickmann
1933
1941
8
William D. Becker
1941
1943
2
Aloys P. Kaufmann
1943
1949
6
Joseph M. Darst
1949
1953
4
Raymond Tucker
1953
1965
12
Alfonso J. Cervante
1965
1973
8
John H. Poelker
1973
1977
4
James F. Conway
1977
1981
4
Vincent C. Schoemehl
1981
1993
12
Freeman R. Bosley Jr.
1993
1997
4
Clarence Harmon
1997
2001
4
Francis G. Slay
2001
2017
16
Lyda Krewson
2017
2021
4
A look at Mayor Lyda Krewson, from the day she filed to the day she announced her retirement
Krewson announces her decision not to seek another term
Operation Clean Sweep in College Hill
Family, friends and coworkers remember Officer Bohannon
Announcement of Operation Legend in St. Louis
Protesters at City Hall demand mayor’s resignation
Protesters paint Tucker Boulevard with call for Krewson’s resignation
Krewson reading addresses of people supporting police reform
Visitation for David Dorn, a retired St. Louis police captain
Tents from homeless encampment downtown removed, people placed in shelters and hotels
Affinia Healthcare opens COVID-19 testing site at 4414 N. Florissant Avenue
Frigid march marks Martin Luther King Day
Officials break ground on NGA site in north St. Louis
Krewson attends first — and likely only —Board of Freeholders meeting
Krewson attends party for County Police Sgt. Keith Wildhaber
Krewson speaks during the opening ceremony of the Japanese Festival
Krewson joins police officers at St. Louis University hospital
Mayor attends the annual Mardi Gras Ball at City Hall
Press conference with Mayor Lyda Krewson
Officer injured during confrontation in St. Louis
Black leaders snubbed during Arch ribbon-cutting hold their own
The first ribbon-cutting for the Gateway Arch park
Stenger and Krewson attend regional summit
Krewson hugs Annie Smith after city meeting
Judge Jimmie Edwards selected as public safety director in St. Louis
Board approves motion for police body cameras
Krewson becomes first woman mayor of St. Louis
‘We finally broke the glass ceiling’
Krewson campaigns at St. Joan of Arc School fish fry
Five candidates have already announced, at least two others say they’re considering a run.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a City Hall press conference on Wednesday.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson laughs after a cellphone rings during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson becomes emotional while speaking about the city of St. Louis during her announcement that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the Mayor's office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Krewson stated that she made the decision with family to retire, because she is nearing the age of 70. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announces that she will be retiring and not running for reelection at a press conference in the mayor’s office at City Hall in St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
The Rev. Darryl Gray sits at the intersection of Market Street and Tucker Boulevard for minutes of silence in memory of those killed by police officers, near City Hall in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Protesters announced plans to camp in front of the building until their demands were met and Mayor Lyda Krewson resigns. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Demonstrators mingle under tents they put up outside St. Louis City Hall as part of a movement to get St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson to resign on Friday, July 17, 2020. Demonstrators said one reason they want the mayor to resign is for reading the names and addresses of protesters on her Facebook live stream. Photo by Chris Kohley, ckohley@post-dispatch.com