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Lyda Krewson

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Lyda Krewson
46th Mayor of St. Louis
In office
April 18, 2017 – April 20, 2021
Preceded byFrancis Slay
Succeeded byTishaura Jones
Member of the
St. Louis Board of Aldermen
for Ward 28
In office
1997–2017
Succeeded byHeather Navarro[1]
Personal details
Born (1953-11-14) November 14, 1953 (age 71)
Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Jeff Krewson
​
​
(m. 1988; died 1995)​

Mike Owens
​
(m. 1998)​
Children2
EducationTruman State University (BA)
University of Missouri, St. Louis (BS)
Signature

Lyda Krewson (born November 14, 1953) is an American retired politician who was the 46th mayor of St. Louis, Missouri.[2][3] She is a member of the Democratic Party and St. Louis's first female mayor, serving from 2017 to 2021. On November 18, 2020, Krewson announced that she would not seek a second term.[4]

From 1997 to 2017, Krewson served as the alderman of St. Louis's 28th ward.[5]

Early life

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Born on November 14, 1953,[6] near Davenport, Iowa, Krewson moved with her family to St. Joseph, Missouri, then Fairfield, Illinois, before settling in Moberly, Missouri, where she graduated from high school. In 1974, she earned a degree in psychology and a special education minor from Northeast Missouri State University.[7] Krewson then moved to St. Louis, where she earned an accounting degree at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.[8]

In 1988 she married Jeff Krewson, an architect.[9] He was murdered by a criminal on parole in an attempted carjacking in front of their Central West End house in 1995; she and their two young children were also in the car.[9][10] The killer was later sentenced to life without parole.[11] In 1998, Krewson married local news anchor Mike Owens.[8]

Krewson is a Certified Public Accountant.[6] She worked for Deloitte for seven years,[8] then served as the chief financial officer of PGAV, an international design and planning firm.[6]

Political career

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While alderman of St. Louis's 28th ward, Krewson took out a home equity loan in 2003 to help fund an unsuccessful campaign against Missouri's concealed carry law, which passed. In 2011, she led the city's successful effort to pass a smoking ban.[12] Krewson served as the Chairman of the Board of Aldermen's Transportation & Commerce Committee. Previously she served as the chairman of the Ways & Means, Convention & Tourism, and Parks & Environment committees.[13]

Results of the mayoral election by ward

With the retirement of four-term mayor Francis Slay, Krewson entered a crowded seven-way 2017 Democratic primary, the real contest in this heavily Democratic city (St. Louis has not elected a Republican mayor since 1949). She won the March 7 primary against Tishaura Jones, Lewis E. Reed, Antonio French, and others with 32% of the vote, just 879 votes ahead of Jones. In the general election on April 4, she defeated Republican candidate Andrew Jones with 67% of the vote,[14] becoming the first female chief executive in the city's history. She took office on April 18.[15]

St. Louis Mayor, General Election 2017[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lyda Krewson 39,471 67.53
Republican Andrew Jones Jr. 10,112 17.30
Independent Larry Rice 6,126 10.48
Green Johnathan McFarland 1,241 2.14
Libertarian Robert Cunningham 515 0.88
Independent Tyrone Austin 241 0.41
N/A Write-in Votes 737 1.26

Panhandling and homelessness

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Krewson worked to reduce panhandling in the Central West End neighborhood by introducing the REAL Change Program, which encourages social services for those in need.[17] The program was attached to an ordinance to criminalize panhandling. During the 2017 mayoral campaign, The St. Louis American newspaper criticized the program, arguing that Krewson did not understand the factors behind poverty and homelessness.[18]

A legal battle initiated by Francis Slay's administration against Larry Rice's New Life Evangelistic Center homeless shelter came to a close in April 2017, early in Krewson's mayoralty, allowing the city to close the shelter, which provided temporary housing for up to 150 people. The city-owned Biddle House shelter expanded to provide beds for 50 more people.[19] At least two people died in the streets without housing the previous winter.[20]

Crime prevention

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In August 2019, Krewson agreed to sponsor a one-year contract with Cure Violence in response to community pressure and an increased city murder rate. Previous measures from Krewson's administration had focused on increasing policing, while Cure Violence trains civilians in crisis intervention and community based solutions. Aldermanic President Lewis E. Reed told reporters that he supported additional funding for the program.[21]

In April, Comptroller Darlene Green raised the issue of the local medium-security prison known as the St. Louis Workhouse causing violence, advocating that Krewson move to close it.[22] Advocates and activists have campaigned for the Workhouse's closure, citing inhumane conditions and criminalization of poverty. The city was sued in 2017 after people incarcerated in the Workhouse were heard screaming for help during a heat wave and large protests were staged outside the fence. The city responded by installing temporary air conditioning units.[23]

Facebook Live incident

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In a public briefing broadcast live on Facebook on June 26, 2020, Krewson read aloud the names and addresses of multiple constituents, including a minor, who had signed a petition in favor of budgetary changes that involved redirecting all the money spent on the police department to social services, affordable housing and Cure Violence.[24] She apologized later that day and removed the post after protesters showed up at her house.[25] The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri released a statement condemning her actions, saying "[i]t serves no apparent purpose beyond intimidation."[26]

After the Facebook Live incident, local activist and drag performer Maxi Glamour created a petition calling for Krewson's resignation that collected more than 30,000 signatures in two days.[27] 500 Black Lives Matter protesters marched to Krewson's home to demand her resignation, the closure of St. Louis Workhouse, and defunding of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. On the way to her home, the protesters traveled through the Central West End neighborhood and took a shortcut through a private gated community, Portland Place. When protesters entered the private street through a gate, there was a confrontation between them and the residents of the adjacent house, who brandished a rifle and handgun.[28][29]

References

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  1. ^ "Heather Navarro wins election to be Ward 28 Alderwoman". KMOV. July 11, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Krewson cruises to a historic victory in St. Louis to win mayor's office
  3. ^ KMOV.com Staff (November 18, 2020). "St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson to retire, will not seek re-election". KMOV. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Benchaabane, Nassim (November 18, 2020). "'A new mayor will lead us forward': Krewson won't run for reelection". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  5. ^ About Lyda Krewson
  6. ^ a b c "Krewson, Lyda". dynamic.stlouis-mo.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Duggan, Eileen (June 17, 2011). "BALANCING ACT Lyda Krewson finds time for family, career and public service as alderman of the 28th Ward". West End Word. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Lyda Krewson, Mayor". St. Louis MO. City of Saint Louis. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Sorkin, Michael D. (March 25, 1995). "Quiet Night out Ends in Death". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  10. ^ Schafer, Ed (March 24, 1995). "Suspect in Fatal Carjacking Was Wearing Electronic Ankle Shackle". Associated Press.
  11. ^ Bryant, Tim (September 13, 1996). "Killer Pleads Guilty, Gets Life Sentence Shot Man Sitting in Car with Family in '95". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  12. ^ Addo, Koran (April 5, 2017). "Krewson cruises to a historic victory in St. Louis to win mayor's office". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  13. ^ "Lyda Krewson, Mayor". St. Louis MO. City of Saint Louis. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  14. ^ "Democrat Lyda Krewson declares victory in St. Louis mayoral race". FOX2now.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  15. ^ McDermott, Kevin (April 18, 2017). "New St.Louis mayor vows continued revival and warns of less help from feds". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  16. ^ "Lyda Krewson - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  17. ^ "Real Change Campaign". Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  18. ^ Randall, Clark (January 27, 2017). "The real on Lyda Krewson and homelessness". St. Louis American. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  19. ^ Davis, Elliott (February 21, 2018). "Taxpayers shelled out nearly $500K to expand services for the homeless in the City of St. Louis". FOX2now.com. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  20. ^ Lippmann, Rachel (November 29, 2018). "St. Louis will boost the number of beds at its emergency homeless shelter this winter". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  21. ^ Rice, Rachel (August 23, 2019). "St. Louis mayor calls for emergency launch of violence prevention program". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  22. ^ Messenger, Tony (August 26, 2019). "Messenger: Want to help cure violence in St. Louis? Close the Workhouse". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  23. ^ Hidalgo, Carolina (July 3, 2018). "Activists launch campaign to close the Workhouse, reduce St. Louis jail population". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  24. ^ "St. Louis Mayor Broadcasts Names, Addresses of Citizens Calling for Police Reform". Riverfront Times. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mayor Lyda Krewson". Twitter.com. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  26. ^ Acevedo, Nicole (June 27, 2020). "St. Louis mayor slammed for broadcasting names, addresses of 'defund the police' supporters". NBC News. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  27. ^ Coronel, Justina (June 28, 2020). "After naming protesters wanting to defund police, thousands petition for the resignation of St. Louis mayor". ksdk.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  28. ^ Paul P. Murphy and Alisha Ebrahimji (June 29, 2020). "St. Louis couple pulls firearms on protesters cutting through their private street". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  29. ^ Curtis, Ramona; Hurwitz, Sophie (June 29, 2020). "Hundreds march through CWE on Sunday to demand resignation of Mayor Lyda Krewson, couple points guns at protestors". St. Louis American. Retrieved July 2, 2020.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lyda Krewson.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of St. Louis
2017–2021 		Succeeded by
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