Ferguson Elects First Black Mayor, Ella Jones
The voters have spoken! Ferguson City Council member Ella Jones has won the city’s mayoral election Tuesday.
Jones will become the first female mayor and the first black mayor in the city’s history when she is sworn in.
Jones went up against Heather Robinett in the optical race, but after winning the position both women have vowed to come together to make Ferguson improvements in the city.
Heather Robinett has come to congratulate Ella Jones. Jones defeated Robinett to become mayor of Ferguson: pic.twitter.com/NESvYHxZe5
— Jason Rosenbaum (@jrosenbaum) June 3, 2020
Jones will succeed James Knowles III, who served the city for several years, and rode out weeks of unrest after Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed teenager, was shot and killed by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson. A grand jury and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute the officer, Darren Wilson, who later resigned.
According to her biography on the Ferguson City website, Jones has been a Ferguson resident for more than 40 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri — St. Louis and completed training in municipal leadership from the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life at UMSL.
Jones is also a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is on the boards of the Emerson Family YMCA and of the St. Louis MetroMarket. As a council member, she served on the human rights, traffic, landmarks, senior citizens, parks and West Florissant Business Association boards.
Congratulations, Mayor Ella Jones!
