أغر؟´«أ½

ST. LOUIS — When city voters resoundingly rejected Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Tuesday, their thirst for change spilled into another race, toppling Comptroller Darlene Green, who had long been considered politically bulletproof in an office she has held since 1995.

Donna Baringer, who had never run for citywide office before, managed what had been unthinkable a few years ago, beating Green by a close but comfortable margin of three points and riding a wave that, along with Mayor-elect Cara Spencer, represents the most significant change atop City Hall’s power structure in decades.

Not since 1996 had someone even come close to defeating Green, who faced few serious challengers or ran unopposed in an unprecedented seven terms as comptroller.

“The first thing people said to me when I said I was going to run was, â€کAre you serious? You’re going to take on a 30-year incumbent?’â€‌ Baringer told cheering supporters Tuesday night just after the race was called in her favor. “My reply back was, â€کIf I don’t, who will?’â€‌

Baringer homed in on a new vulnerability in Green’s armor. A bumpy rollout of new accounting and payroll software in recent years had City Hall workers and police officers grumbling about delays paying invoices and paychecks that were off. Contractors and others with business at the city complained about delays getting needed documentation and payments from the comptroller’s office. The circuit court even sued the comptroller’s office over delayed expense payments.

And people began talking about what Baringer said was “well knownâ€‌ even when she was an alderman 10 years ago: Green was frequently not at the office. Baringer filled voter mailboxes with ads hammering the point, asking, “Have you seen Darlene Green?â€‌

“She had been getting a lot of bad publicity lately,â€‌ said Ken Warren, a longtime local politics observer, pollster and political science professor at أغر؟´«أ½ University. “Green was just a victim of her own doing. She’s been in the office for a long time, and she has the image now of being pretty nonchalant and not showing up for work regularly.â€‌

Dan Henroid, a Lindenwood Park resident who volunteered for Baringer’s campaign, said he got to know Baringer when she was his state representative. Like most regular أغر؟´«أ½ voters, he’s cast a ballot for Green before.

“I think we just learned a little bit more this time around,â€‌ he said.

The results underscored the mood of the electorate, which even Green appeared to acknowledge was sour as she began campaigning on shoring up basic city services and distanced herself from Mayor Jones. But to a majority of voters, Green was still seen as part of a city leadership that wasn’t delivering, Warren said.

“People have generally been down on the city under Jones, so I think Green was also the victim of that as well, but she’d survived the ups and downs of mayors for a long, long time,â€‌ he said. “Generally it was a rejection of the present administration, including Green, by the voters.â€‌

But unlike the mayor’s race, it wasn’t a blowout.

High turnout and margins in the neighborhoods around her home turf in أغر؟´«أ½ Hills was enough for Baringer to pull out a win in a race that was expected to be among the closest on the ballot. In March, Baringer had come in first by just more than 500 votes, or 1.5 points.

She managed to grow that margin a month later to 1,500 votes, besting Green 51.5% to 48.5%. Given her tight margin in March, Baringer said she was a little surprised at the spread in the vote Tuesday, saying she expected “another squeaker.â€‌

Green conceded late Tuesday night, sending a statement thanking her supporters and saying she “was grateful for the opportunity to have served the people in the city that I love with integrity and dignity.â€‌

“Even though we didn’t get victory this time,â€‌ Green said, “we move forward with hope.â€‌

Baringer’s base of support was centered around the southwest أغر؟´«أ½ neighborhoods she has represented for over 20 years, first as an alderwoman and then as a state representative. They’re some of أغر؟´«أ½â€™ most affluent, white and, crucially for Baringer, vote rich.

Low turnout and years of depopulation have weakened the political heft of north أغر؟´«أ½, Green’s main base of support. Her overwhelming margins there weren’t enough to overcome the leads Baringer racked up in her home turf around أغر؟´«أ½ Hills, where turnout was nearly double the 18% of registered voters who cast ballots in most northside wards.

Race seemed to weigh heavily in the election, with Green dominating north أغر؟´«أ½ and winning majority Black areas in southeast أغر؟´«أ½. Baringer carried majority white areas on the south side and the most affluent portions of the Central West End.

Race is indeed on the minds of some officials. Baringer’s election means for the first time since 1988, there will be an all-white Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the powerful city body made up of comptroller, mayor and the aldermanic president that must approve all city spending and contracts. Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, who serves on the E&A board, warned of that potential outcome in a Facebook post last month.

“An all-white E&A would not be representative of our city,â€‌ Megan Green wrote.

But the fact that E&A will get two new members is also a remarkable change. Not since 1981 have city voters elected both a new comptroller and mayor, a majority of E&A. Usually, the board — whose agenda is largely controlled by the comptroller’s office, sometimes causing friction with the mayor — only loses one member at a time.

أغر؟´«أ½ans have voted for change before. But they haven’t voted for this level of change at once in over 40 years.

“I heard you and I will be working for what you want,â€‌ Baringer said after her win Tuesday, “which is change.â€‌