Jake Zimmerman wins St. Louis County executive race in 2026 midterm sweep
The longtime assessor defeated Republican Dennis Hancock with 66% of the vote as Jewish candidates secured wins across the country.
By Scott Marshall ·
Jake Zimmerman, a Democrat and the county’s longtime assessor, defeated Republican Dennis Hancock to become the next St. Louis County executive. Zimmerman secured the victory on Nov. 3, ending a closely watched contest that drew attention from local and national observers. According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Zimmerman led Hancock 66% to 32% with 153 of the county’s 200 polling places reporting Tuesday evening.
Zimmerman will succeed Sam Page, who chose not to seek reelection. The result marks a political comeback for Zimmerman, who lost to Page in the 2020 Democratic primary. He has served as county assessor since 2011, when he became the first person elected to that specific position. An attorney and lifelong county resident, Zimmerman previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives and as an assistant Missouri attorney general.
The St. Louis result was part of a wider pattern of victories for Jewish candidates in Tuesday’s midterm elections. These races included contests for governor, Congress, and local government offices across the United States. The outcomes arrived amid a complex political environment where Jewish voters navigated shifting alliances and rhetoric.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection easily, a signal of how poorly President Donald Trump was faring in swing states he had won in 2024. Ossoff is considered a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. His win joined those of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who both cruised to victory. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser also won his race, according to AP projections.
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, described the campaign season as deeply painful for the American Jewish community in a post on X. He noted that community members had been told they did not belong in political spaces. Deutch said that when activists spoke out against candidates trafficking in antisemitism, they had been brushed aside.
Exit polls published by NBC News showed a 67% to 32% split among Jewish voters favoring Democrats. This partisan split is typical for Jewish voters in recent political cycles, suggesting Democrats have not lost one of their historically loyal constituencies. In Michigan, the race featured Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic nominee whose anti-Israel posture caused turmoil in the local Jewish community.
Democrats appeared set to flip the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives, and the Senate may also come under their control. If these changes take place, the cohort of Democrats who are stridently critical of Israel will expand from a small group to a substantial minority in the party. In Florida, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Angie Nixon, a Democratic state representative who was critical of Israel. Moody, who was endorsed by AIPAC and Trump, stated she wants the U.S. to be the most pro-Israel country in the world.
