St. Louis County assessor Jake Zimmerman has been in and around county politics for more than 20 years. The Democrat likely would have easily won a fifth term in the assessor’s office - he beat his last opponent by 18 percentage points. But Zimmerman says his boring brand of politics is what the county needs now in its executive post. (A feature on Republican Dennis Hancock is available in Wednesday’s episode.)&nbsp; Explore more:<ul><li><a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-09-22/st-louis-voter-guide-2026-november-election-missouri-illinois" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent;">St. Louis Public Radio's 2026 Midterm Voter Guide</a></li></ul>

Essential news for the St. Louis region. Every weekday, in about 8 to 10 minutes, you can learn about the top stories of the day, while also hearing longer stories that bring context and humanity to the issues and ideas that affect life in the region. Music by Ryan McNeely of Adult Fur.