ST. LOUIS, Mo. — St. Louis County voters picked longtime County Assessor Jake Zimmerman as their next county executive on Tuesday, handing the Democrat a lopsided win over 3rd District Councilman Dennis Hancock of Fenton.
Unofficial final returns gave Zimmerman 65.07% of the vote, or 251,305 ballots. Hancock, the Republican, drew 32.87% with 126,949 votes, and Green Party candidate JD McFarland finished with about 2%. Countywide turnout came in at 61%.
Zimmerman succeeds Sam Page, who did not run again. Page’s term runs out in January.
The new executive inherits a tough job. For years the county budget has leaned on reserves and pandemic-era federal money, and both are drying up. Population growth has stalled, and the county faces a deadline at the end of 2027 to retrofit or replace its Clayton headquarters. Relations between the council and the executive’s office have been rocky off and on for more than a decade.
Zimmerman has said he is open to raising taxes to balance the books, but only after the county gets its own operations in order. He has promised early outreach to council members from both parties.
He has served as assessor since 2011. Before that he represented the 83rd District in the Missouri House from 2007 to 2011 and worked as an assistant attorney general under Gov. Jay Nixon. He also spent the final two years of Gov. Bob Holden’s administration as the governor’s legal counsel.
Hancock’s loss ends his four years on the County Council and takes him out of county politics for now. Zimmerman credited his rival with running a respectful campaign.
Some council members said they hope the change at the top brings better communication. Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert, a Hazelwood Democrat, said she wants open lines between the executive and legislative branches, something she said had been missing under Page.
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