And now, St. Louis' next mayor
Listen to Lyda Krewson's speech after winning the General Election on April 4.
Alderman Lyda Krewson represents the city’s tourist-attracting 28th Ward, which includes the Central West End and Forest Park. Having represented the ward for two decades, the St. Louis mayor-elect, is well acquainted with how St. Louis City Hall works.
Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio
Lyda Krewson thanks her supporters, family and campaign staff after narrowly winning the Democratic mayoral primary election in March.
She chairs the Board of Aldermen’s Transportation and Commerce committee and sits on the Airport Commission and Port Authority, and has served on the Ways and Means, Convention and Tourism and Parks and Environment committees.
The 64-year-old, who has degrees from both Truman State and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is also the chief financial officer of design and planning firm PGAV. She is married and has two adult children.
Lyda Krewson
Despite being endorsed by Mayor Francis Slay, her victory in the Democratic primary was hard-fought, edging city Treasurer Tishaura Jones by just 888 votes. Her path to the mayor’s office in the general election was easier.
Krewson has often supported a number of Slay's initiatives: an effort to raise the city's minimum wage, build a football stadium on the riverfront and doing whatever it took make sure the NGA stayed in St. Louis.
In turn, Slay supported some of Krewson's legislative priorities, such as banning smoking in most public places and changing campaign finance rules for city elections. But her close ties to Slay drew criticism during the mayoral primary, with campaign rivals saying she’d continue the same style of governance that has led St. Louis to use tax incentives for development in the more affluent parts of the city at the expense of rundown areas.
