Tishaura Jones, Vernon Betts easily win St. Louis treasurer, sheriff’s primaries – STLtoday.com

ST. LOUIS — Democratic primary voters gave City Treasurer Tishaura Jones a pivotal push Tuesday toward re-election — plus some political momentum for a potential follow-up run for mayor next year.

Jones rolled up about 59% of the vote against longtime Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, a well-funded challenger who has fought with Jones for years regarding her oversight of the city parking division.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Vernon Betts easily defeated two Democratic primary foes — Alfred Montgomery and David Mosley.

Jones, 48, and Betts, 67, will be big favorites to defeat Republican nominees Robert Vroman, 39, and John Castellano III, 47, in the Nov. 3 general election in the heavily Democratic city.

Vroman, a real estate investor, ran unopposed for the GOP nomination for treasurer, while Castellano, a deputy on Betts’ staff, easily defeated Lester “Corkey” Stewart, 65, for the sheriff’s nomination.

Jones, in an interview Tuesday night, credited her victory to talking directly to average citizens about their concerns.

“We never forgot we were in the middle of a pandemic; we asked how they were doing, we offered them tips for their survival,” Jones said.

“At the end of the day, I don’t think people care about who runs the parking division as much as whether they think they’re treated fairly. They know they’re treated fairly in my office.”

Jones also said her victory was part of “a wave of Black girl magic in the state of Missouri,” which also included wins by three African American women in other major races Tuesday.

She cited Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, Congressional nominee Cori Bush and lieutenant governor nominee Alissia Canady.

Jones is seeking a third four-year term as treasurer after narrowly losing the Democratic mayoral primary in 2017 to Lyda Krewson, the eventual general election winner.

Krewson is running for re-election next year and Jones has said she’s strongly considering another mayoral bid. She recently accused Krewson and her allies of helping Boyd’s campaign, which was denied by a top Krewson aide.

During the campaign, Jones said she modernized city parking meters to allow motorists to pay by credit cards or their smartphones and to spit out paper receipts.

Boyd, 56, complained that Jones hasn’t channeled enough of the city’s parking revenue, projected this year at $18.5 million, to help pay for general city services.

If elected, he promised to move the parking division from the treasurer, one of the city’s county-type offices, to the general city administration.

Boyd also is among plaintiffs in a long-running court fight that seeks to give more authority over parking revenue to the Board of Aldermen and the city’s top fiscal panel, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment.

A circuit judge in 2018 sided with the plaintiffs, and Jones appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. The high court dismissed the appeal but didn’t rule on the merits of the case, saying it couldn’t do so until the lower-court judge decided some other issues raised.

Jones says her office has consistently contributed to the city’s general fund the maximum allowed by state law.

Betts and Montgomery had squabbled in the sheriff’s race over Betts’ dismissal of Montgomery, 25, from his department last December.

Montgomery alleged that his ouster was retaliation for announcing his candidacy a day earlier. Betts denied that, saying he fired Montgomery for substandard work, absenteeism and insubordination. Montgomery disputed the accusations.