As the city of St. Louis gears up for the first primary of its mayoral election, several Washington University students are actively engaging with the campaigns.

After announcing his candidacy in August 2016, Lewis Reed made his platform abundantly clear: economic growth. Since 2007, Reed has served as the president of the Board of Aldermen—the first African-American to be elected to this position—and has worked to expand everything from anticrime policies to bike trails on his path to spur growth in St. Louis.