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ST. LOUIS — Mayor Tishaura O. Jones made it official Thursday: She’s running for a second term.

She told a roomful of supporters gathered at Third Degree Glass Factory on Delmar Boulevard that she’s made headway on the promises of her previous campaign: to invest in forgotten neighborhoods, to modernize City Hall, and to tackle the city’s notorious public safety challenges.

And she said she can’t stop now.

“We can see the city starting to change for the better,� Jones said, “and I want to keep serving and fighting for that change as your mayor.�

In remarks that recalled her State of the City address earlier in the week, Jones reminded backers and donors of the fall in crime and homicide rates in recent years, and the ongoing investment of millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid into long-suffering communities.

She talked about fighting back against Republican state officials with her executive order promoting access to transgender health care, and about her push for a new MetroLink line connecting the near north and south sides with job centers and the prosperous central corridor.

She also promised that long-awaited work to overhaul major roads, like Kingshighway and Union and Grand boulevards, would begin early next year, drawing some of the loudest applause of the night.

“Our future is vibrant,� she said. “We are in the middle of a renaissance and I invite you to join me as we build a future that includes everyone, no matter your zip code, who you love, how you worship or what language you speak or any identity you hold.

“And as your mayor, I promise that I will keep doing the work with a capital W to make each tomorrow in St. Louis a little brighter than the last.�

Notables in attendance included city Treasurer Adam Layne and Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc., the region’s business lobby.

Jones, who was first elected in 2021, is the first major candidate to announce plans to run for the city’s top job next year. The mayoral primary is scheduled for March.