St. Louis County Executive Sam Page won't seek reelection80%
By Jason Rosenbaum0%
12/18/2025, 2:59:53 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 20 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Negativity Bias, and Optimism Bias, with Self-Serving Bias as the most egregious example at 30.5% saturation with 432 hits. Analysis detected 1,912 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,418 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 72.6% and a BS Rank of 80% (3,417 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 79.70% of the article peer group.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page will not seek reelection.
The Democratic official’s decision will ensure that next year’s election will be the first since 1974 in which a sitting county executive will not seek a partial or full term.
Page released a statement on Thursday saying that “too many leaders have forgotten that courage means standing up for what's right, not what brings them headlines or takes someone else down.”
“Public service means solving real problems, not manufacturing fake ones for clicks and sound bites,” Page said.
“So I've made a decision that I believe takes courage: I'm not running for reelection to a third term.
Instead of spending next year campaigning, I'm going to spend my last year in office doing what I've always done – focusing completely on you and the work that matters.”
Page has had a long career in state, county and local politics.
After serving on the Creve Coeur City Council, he won a Missouri House seat in 2002 and served three terms.
He narrowly lost to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder in 2008 and then was unsuccessful in seeking a state Senate seat two years later.
But after County Councilwoman Kathleen Kelly Burkett died in office, Page won a special election to serve out the rest of her term.
He was appointed county executive in 2019 after Steve Stenger resigned from the office after being indicted on corruption charges.
Page won election to a partial term in 2020 and a full, four-year term in 2022.
While he began his tenure with full support of the St. Louis County Council, that backing eroded, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the 2024 election cycle, Page only had one solid ally on the council, Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, meaning that his vetoes could get overridden.
And earlier this year, state Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, announced he would challenge Page in the 2026 Democratic primary.
Williams has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and could have deprived Page of his past support in north St. Louis County and the central corridor.
Page also was indicted this year over a mailer that his office sent out regarding Proposition B, a failed initiative that would have made it easier for the county council to fire his department heads.
Page has vigorously fought back against the charges, which include felonies that could cost him his medical license if he’s found guilty.
A hearing on the case is set for Friday in Springfield.
State Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, announced he was running against Page before the county executive said he wouldn't run for another term.
An open race
Page’s decision to not run again could produce a crowded Democratic primary, especially since whoever wins that contest will be favored to win the general election in November 2026.
But it will also substantially change the dynamics of the contest.
Instead of being a referendum on Page, the candidates will have to showcase how they’re going to deal with some St. Louis County’s larger issues – including a perennial budget deficit that could necessitate tax increases over the next couple of years.
Clancy, who said she is running for reelection for county council, added that Page’s departure will force candidates to “make some real commitments about what they're going to do and not just bash what's happened in the past.”
“I don't think we have a field set yet, and I think this is a real opportunity for us,” Clancy said.
“Because the challenges in St. Louis County couldn't be more real right now, especially regarding our financial situation and our budget and our ability to continue to provide quality services, so that we can be a modern government.”
In a statement, Williams said Page’s decision “marks an opportunity for St. Louis County to move forward with a fresh start.”
“We have serious problems to address and I am committed to working with anyone who has good ideas to solve our county’s problems,” Williams said.
“As County Executive, I will continue to build on my record of turning bold ideas into results that improve the quality of life for our residents.
I’m ready to get to work to bring folks together and lead St. Louis County forward.”
Other potential Democratic contenders include St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman, who unsuccessfully challenged Page in 2020.
But unlike in that election, Zimmerman would have to vacate the assessor’s office in order to seek out the county executive job.
“I am humbled and flattered by all the folks who've reached out to me today to ask about the County Executive's race,” Zimmerman said in a statement.
“This is a big moment for St. Louis County, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with my family over the holidays,” Zimmerman said.
“I will announce my plans in the coming weeks.”
Another potential contender is Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat who has strong ties to organized labor.
Beck said in a statement that “right now, I’m focused on spending Christmas and the New Year with my family and friends.”
“As far as what happens in 2026, everyone will have to wait and see,” Beck said.
St. Louis County Councilman Dennis Hancock attends a meeting in 2023.
Hancock is running as a Republican for county executive.
Reaction to Page’s decision
Clancy said Page provided “quiet and steady leadership” during tumultuous times for the county, namely the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also said his departure could provide an opportunity for a reset of sorts between the county executive and members of the county council.
“The council has spent a lot of time, certainly this year, but even prior to this year, just relentlessly punching on the county executive's office,” Clancy said.
“This is an opportunity for us to focus on what the future looks like and everything that we can do to provide governance for St. Louis County.”
Councilman Michael Archer of south St. Louis County is part of a bipartisan contingent on the council that often clashed with Page.
He said that “we may not always have agreed, but I think his heart was in the right place, and I can fully understand his decision not to run for reelection.”
“I think everybody is still kind of bruised and battered over the budget,” said Archer, referring to a well-publicized dispute over closing a big budgetary gap that ended with the budget being passed Tuesday.
“So I think before we can determine what his legacy of his leadership is going to be, I think we need to distance ourselves a little bit from this latest battle so that we get some perspective on it.
Because there were a lot of things said, there are a lot of accusations made that I think we just need to kind of distance ourselves from before we can come to an objective.”
Before Page made his decision, Councilman Dennis Hancock announced his bid for county executive as a Republican.
He said that he would still run for the county’s top post even after Page’s announcement.
“People are going to be looking for somebody with experienced leadership,” said Hancock, who also served as the mayor of Fenton.
“And I think that they can look at me and find what they're looking for.”
In his statement, Page said: “I'll be here through the end of my term, working with integrity and purpose.
I will continue fighting for your healthcare, your safety, and your essential services.”
That could be a reference to how the council passed major cuts to his proposed budget.
“I want to ask something of all of you: Don't give up on the idea that doing the right thing still matters.
Don't let cynicism win.”
The world needs more people willing to serve others, to solve problems, to put community ahead of conflict,” Page wrote.
“We need more leaders with the courage to say no to the circus and yes to the work.
Leaders who understand that real strength isn't about being the loudest voice in the room – it's about being the most effective.”
Councilman Mark Harder said Page’s decision not to run again gives him opportunities that weren’t available if he was still active in the political fray.
“He's in a position that he can be quite powerful if he wanted to because he has no obligations to anyone for reelection,” Harder said.
“He can decide how he wants to play out the remaining 12 months of his career.”
This story has been updated with comments from officials.
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