Lewis Reed

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Lewis E. Reed

Democratic Party

Prior offices

St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ward 6

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St. Louis Board of Aldermen President

Successor: Megan Ellyia Green

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 2, 2021

Contact

Campaign website

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Lewis E. Reed was the St. Louis Board of Aldermen President in Missouri. He assumed office in 2007. He left office on June 7, 2022.

Reed ran for election for Mayor of St. Louis in Missouri. He lost in the primary on March 2, 2021.

Reed completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

First elected to the presidency in 2007, he won re-election to new terms in 2011 and 2015. Reed had served as the board's Ward 6 representative from 1999 until assuming the board presidency.

Reed ran unsuccessfully for mayor of the city in the primary election on March 7, 2017.

Biography

Reed attended Southern Illinois University and majored in mathematics and computer science. His professional experience includes working as the manager of data networks for SSM Health Businesses and as the director of networks for the Edison Brothers Stores' worldwide operations.

Elections

2021

See also: Mayoral election in St. Louis, Missouri (2021)

General election

General election for Mayor of St. Louis

Tishaura Jones defeated Cara Spencer in the general election for Mayor of St. Louis on April 6, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tishaura Jones (Nonpartisan)	51.7	30,166
		Cara Spencer (Nonpartisan)	47.8	27,865
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	319

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,350
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of St. Louis

Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer defeated Lewis E. Reed and Andrew Jones Jr. in the primary for Mayor of St. Louis on March 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tishaura Jones (Nonpartisan)	36.4	25,388
✔		Cara Spencer (Nonpartisan)	29.7	20,659
		Lewis E. Reed (Nonpartisan)	24.7	17,186
		Andrew Jones Jr. (Nonpartisan)	9.2	6,428

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 69,661
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Note: The table above shows the percentage of votes received, while the table below shows the percentage of ballots cast. Under approval voting, voters may choose to vote for more than one candidate.

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of St. Louis, 2021
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tishaura Jones	56.97%	25,374
Cara Spencer	46.36%	20,649
Lewis Reed	38.53%	17,162
Andrew Jones	14.42%	6,422
Ballots Cast		44,538
Source: City of St. Louis

2019

See also: City elections in St. Louis, Missouri (2019)

General election

General election for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President

Incumbent Lewis E. Reed defeated Jerome H. Bauer in the general election for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President on April 2, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lewis E. Reed (D)	78.4	15,192
		Jerome H. Bauer (G)	18.3	3,555
		Other/Write-in votes	3.3	639

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,386
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President

Incumbent Lewis E. Reed defeated Jamilah Nasheed, Megan Ellyia Green, and Jimmie Matthews in the Democratic primary for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President on March 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lewis E. Reed	35.6	12,416
		Jamilah Nasheed	31.6	11,012
		Megan Ellyia Green	31.2	10,868
	Submit photo	Jimmie Matthews	1.6	547

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,843
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green primary election

The Green primary election was canceled. Jerome H. Bauer advanced from the Green primary for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President.

2017

See also: Municipal elections in St. Louis, Missouri (2017)

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, held elections for mayor, comptroller, board of aldermen, and the St. Louis Community College in 2017. Fourteen of the 29 seats on the board were up for general election. Additionally, the Ward 16 seat held by Donna Baringer (D) was up for special election, following her successful election to the state house of representatives in 2016. Partisan primary elections took place on March 7, 2017. The general election between the primary winners took place on April 4, 2017. The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary election for mayor of St. Louis.

St. Louis Mayor, Democratic Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lyda Krewson	32.04%	17,253
Tishaura Jones	30.40%	16,374
Lewis Reed	18.30%	9,856
Antonio French	15.84%	8,530
Jeffrey L. Boyd	2.67%	1,439
Bill Haas	0.48%	257
Jimmie Matthews	0.27%	145
Total Votes		53,854
Source: St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, "March 7, 2017 Primary Municipal Election -- March 7th, 2017 Final Official Results," March 13, 2017

2015

See also: St. Louis, Missouri municipal elections, 2015

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, held elections for Board of Aldermen on April 7, 2015. A primary election took place on March 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 2, 2015.

In the Democratic primary election for President of the Board, incumbent Lewis Reed defeated Jimmie Matthews. Erik Shelquist ran unopposed in the Republican primary, while Jeffrey Schaefer ran unopposed in the Green Party primary. Reed defeated Shelquist and Schaefer in the general election on April 7.

President of the Board of Aldermen General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Lewis Reed Incumbent	82.6%	14,657
	Republican	Erik Shelquist	10.8%	1,925
	Green	Jeffrey Schaefer	6.6%	1,172
Total Votes				17,754
Source: St. Louis Board of Elections, "General Election Results," accessed May 18, 2015

President of the Board of Aldermen Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lewis Reed Incumbent	82.4%	12,844
Jimmie Matthews	17.6%	2,735
Total Votes		15,579
Source: St. Louis Board of Elections, "Primary Election Results," accessed May 18, 2015

Campaign themes

2021

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released December 21, 2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lewis E. Reed completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Reed's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lewis E. Reed began his public service career working for the City of St. Louis as the 6th Ward Alderman. He was then elected President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 2007. He is the second highest ranking official in the City of St. Louis and first African American in history to be elected to this position.

President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed has spent over two decades serving the people of St. Louis as an elected official. Active in civic and charitable involvement he serves as the head of the legislative branch of St. Louis city government. In his time in office, Lewis has championed many causes including: founding Bike St. Louis, the rebirth of Washington Avenue, bringing transparency to the Board of Aldermen and addressing the "homework gap" in our schools. He is also responsible for passing legislation addressing crime prevention, creating opportunities for at-risk youth, environmental sustainability, as well as neighborhood and economic development.

Most recently, President Reed spearheaded legislation that produced the best Minority Participation contract this city has ever seen. He sponsored and passed legislation that will increase facilities for youth, aid in the revitalization of the northside and tackle issues of family and domestic violence in our City.

Lewis Reed is married to his wife of more than twenty years. He has four children and one grandson.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As the next mayor of the City of St. Louis, I will make it my personal responsibility to reduce crime and put a stop to gun violence.

• I will work to rebuild our economy from the damage of COVID-19.

• By working together, we will have a Stronger, Safer and more Unified St. Louis.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Protecting and educating our children

Rebuilding our economy from the damage of COVID-19
Create Jobs and Opportunities with Good Pay
Expand Access to Mental Health & Drug Rehab

Remake Government in a Smart and Inclusive Way

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The most historical event in my life was the birth of my first child, Ashley. I was young and had to make a tough choice. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Before entering public service, I had a successful career in the private sector. I was the Director of Networks for the Edison Brothers Stores' worldwide operations. He also served as the Manager of Data Networks for SSM Health Businesses. I attended Southern Illinois University on a wrestling scholarship where he majored in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Reed's campaign website stated the following:

“	Together, we will get through the pandemic and build a path forward for our city. The foundation of my Plan for Progress includes ending gun violence, implementing a smart and aggressive approach to public safety, and creating economic growth through well-planned, data driven, & equitable policies. We will create opportunities for everyone, expanding mental health & drug rehabilitation, and increase our population. EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY A Plan to: Increase the City’s population by 30,000 residents by 2030. Exceed the national growth rate in jobs and payrolls among our key industries. Close existing opportunity, employment, wage, entrepreneurship, and wealth gaps for women and people of color. Achieve sustainable long-term tax revenue growth for the city. Neighborhood Focused Development to bring fresh food, safe greenspace, and attainable jobs to every neighborhood. Address environmental inequality Equitable delivery of city services Create an Environment for our children to thrive AGGRESSIVE FOCUS ON VIOLENT CRIME Cure Violence model as a proactive approach to prevent violent disputes Latest technology to solve murders, assaults, and kidnappings Build Trust and Increase Rewards for more citizen engagement A government-wide approach to public safety that will align departmental strategies and projects with a focus on reducing the causes of violent crime EXPAND SOCIAL SERVICES & TREAT GUN VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS Expand Cure Violence, Cops & Clinicians, and other non-police approaches to crime Route 911 calls to social workers when police are not necessary Expand services for Mental Health, Drug Rehab, & Re-Entry programs Shift social service and mental health burden from Police to trained professionals REBUILD AFTER COVID Distribute vaccines fairly, orderly, and expeditiously Build back and grow Small Businesses Fund Residential Rental & Housing Assistance Remove Racial Health Disparities COVID regulations based on science Expand Mental Health Services for school age children	”
—Lewis Reed’s campaign website (2021)

Campaign advertisements

"Reed for St Louis" - Reed campaign ad, released February 10, 2021

Noteworthy events

Federal indictment (2022)

See also: Noteworthy criminal misconduct in American politics (2021-2022)

On May 25, 2022, Reed was indicted on two bribery-related charges. The indictment alleges that Reed helped a business owner obtain tax abatements in exchange for a cash bribe. Reed pleaded not guilty on June 2, 2022.

See also

2021 Elections

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Candidate

Mayor of St. Louis

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	St. Louis Board of Aldermen President 2007-2022	Succeeded by Megan Ellyia Green
Preceded by -	St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ward 6 1999-2007	Succeeded by -