County assessor Jake Zimmerman notched a decisive victory in the Democratic primary for St. Louis County executive yesterday, besting state Senator Brian Williams (D–University City), 46 to 33 percent.
State senator Angela Mosley was a distant third, earning 19 percent of the vote.
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Zimmerman now faces Republican Dennis Hancock in the general election this November.
“Obviously, I’m feeling pretty great, but let’s be clear: this is just one win,” he told SLM just after his victory speech. “We’ve got to win in November, and more importantly than any of the politics, there’s work to do. You know, this job is going to be tough. Fixing this budget deficit is no joke. Getting everybody working together respectfully again is also no joke. But the journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step.”
In his speech, Zimmerman spoke about how his 11-year-old son encouraged him to get in the race.
“When you see us folks in politics up on a stage, it’s easy to forget that we’re human beings with human foibles and doubts,” he explained to SLM. “And in a moment when I wasn’t sure if I had this in me, to know that my family and the people I care about the most believed in me, and to hear those words out of an 11-year-old’s mouth, it made a difference, and it’s something I’ll always remember.”
This was Zimmerman’s second race for county executive; he finished third, after County Executive Sam Page and Mark Mantovani, in 2020.
Earlier in the night, Williams greeted supporters at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel, offering hugs as he worked the room. That included Kalanda Kents, who grew up in the county and currently serves on Williams’ Youth Advisory Board. She said she supports him for his work revitalizing Jamestown Mall, supporting violence prevention, and backing senior tax freezes.
“To see that mall run down and damaged and vacant for so many years, and all that land that could be for housing or different things that we are short on, and to see him do that, that was major,” Kents said.
When early returns showed Williams down significantly, Kents said she was still hopeful. She added, “I’m just hoping for the best. I’m just hoping whoever takes the seat will definitely do right by the community as a whole. Just truly listen to the voices of the community. Let go of egos. Let go of power trips and just wanting to have a title and really truly do the work for the community as a whole.”
When SLM and Nine PBS surveyed constituents about the most pressing issues in the race, top concerns included lack of affordability, city-county dysfunction and basic county infrastructure maintenance.
To solve these problems, Zimmerman touted his current “unsexy” role as county assessor, which he says has taught him how to handle day-to-day county functions so county in-fighting is not in the news.
In contrast, Williams has emphasized his time in the Missouri Senate, where he focused on coalition building which he says has prepared him well to reduce county council dysfunction.
State Senator Angela Mosley (D-Florissant) also threw her hat in the ring on the final day of candidate registration, but did not set up a campaign website nor did she make herself available for interviews with SLM and Nine PBS or the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Previously, she made posts on social media supporting Zimmerman.
Mosley surprised many political observers by scoring such a high vote tally despite her lack of a conventional campaign. That almost certainly hurt Williams, since both are Black senators who represent North St. Louis County.
A poll released by Zimmerman’s campaign last week showed Zimmerman 9 points ahead of Williams, a clear upset as Williams was the perceived leader. However, Williams disputed the Zimmerman-funded poll, saying that his campaign had a different poll showing him in the lead.
The candidates are vying to replace Page, a Democrat whose seven-year tenure has been marred by clashes with the county council on several issues including, but not limited to, hiring practices and county spending.
Page also faces two federal criminal charges related to using taxpayer money to send postcards campaigning against an initiative that would have allowed the county council to fire department heads.
The county executive appoints all department heads and members of county boards and commissions. The executive also prepares the county’s budget, enforces county laws, and supervises county departments like the police and public works, among many others.
