Lewis Reed

St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. He joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about his re-election bid. Reed is squaring off against three other Democratic candidates in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Jamilah Nasheed and Alderwoman Megan Green, D-15th Ward. Both Nasheed and Green have recorded Politically Speaking episodes that will air later this month. A native of Joliet, Illinois, Reed first appeared on the local political scene in the 1990s when he was elected alderman for the 6th Ward, which includes the Midtown and Lafayette Square neighborhoods. In 2007, he successfully challenged Board of Aldermen President Jim Shrewsbury. As board president, Reed joined the powerful Board of Estimate and Apportionment that makes most of the city’s financial decisions. He also appoints aldermanic committees and presides over meetings.