St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman won the Democratic nomination for county executive Tuesday in a three-way race to succeed Sam Page, who chose not to seek another term.
In final unofficial results, Zimmerman received 46.47% of the vote while state Sen. Brian Williams received 33.61%. State Sen. Angela Walton Mosley finished a distant third with 19.93%. Williams conceded as the margin widened late in the evening.
“This is the moment where we start to turn things around,” Zimmerman told supporters after his victory. He thanked both opponents for running a “respectful campaign.”
Zimmerman has served as St. Louis County assessor since 2011 and previously ran for county executive in the 2020 special primary won by Page. Throughout this year’s campaign, he emphasized his experience managing a countywide office and cast himself as a policy-focused problem-solver, leaning into what he called his “nerdy wonkiness.”
Williams, who represents the 14th District, made history in 2018 as the first Black man elected to the Missouri Senate in more than two decades. In the chamber, he focused on public safety, health care and economic development and has pointed to nearly $100 million in state funding he says he secured for the county during his tenure. He is term-limited in the Senate.
Williams said his campaign focused on tangible accomplishments and local issues.
“I’m so proud of the campaign we ran. We ran on issues,” he said. “We ran on the demolition of Jamestown Mall. We ran on cleaning up Kinloch. We ran on getting an engineering program for the University of Missouri-St. Louis.”
Mosley, who represents the 13th District and served as Senate Democratic minority caucus chair, comes from a family with deep roots in Missouri politics. Her father, Elbert A. Walton Jr., and her late stepmother, Juanita Head Walton, both served in the Missouri House, as did her sister, brother-in-law and husband. Her daughter, Chanel Mosley, now serves in the House as well.
Sen. Mosley entered the county executive race just hours before the filing deadline in April.
The energy at Williams’ watch party ran high, with supporters and volunteers filling the room and watching results roll in on large screens. The energy and optimism remained high even as the numbers turned against him. At the end of the night, Williams called his family, supporters, campaign workers and everyone who had voted for him up to the stage. He vowed to keep working for the people of the county and said he was proud of the campaign he ran.
The mood at Zimmerman’s watch party was steady and even-keeled as his lead held from the first returns to the last. It was a quiet, understated night that mirrored the calm the assessor had campaigned on.
Some supporters said the race drew them in as engaged voters for the first time. Jason Gillespie, a mortgage advocate from Ballwin, said he spent significant time reading up on each candidate before casting his ballot.
“It motivated me to educate myself and because I want what’s best for my community,” he said.
Zimmerman’s campaign framed the win as the beginning of a long road.
“St. Louis County voters are just ready for things to work for them,” said campaign director Rosetta Okohson. “We feel overwhelmingly that Jake is the right person to deliver that work. It’s going to be a lot of work — I don’t think it’s a cakewalk. Today was the easy part.”
Okohson pointed to Zimmerman’s approach as the reason.
“What I’ve watched Jake do over and over again is be in those rooms, be present, be willing to listen,” she said. “I grew up with a grandmother that said we had two ears and one mouth, and I think Jake leads in that way. That’s what we need right now.”
Gillespie said he hopes Zimmerman now follows through.
“I hope that he sticks to what he says he’s going to do. I know he is a very organized and structured candidate, and he says that he is for the community, so I hope that he just comes in strong and plays his role.”
Zimmerman advances to the November general election, where he will face Republican county Councilman Dennis Hancock of Fenton and Green Party candidate J.D. McFarland.