County Executive Dennis Gannon announced on Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2026.
Also on Monday, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Tim Whitney, the undersheriff and chief financial officer, announced he will seek the Republican nomination for county executive in 2026.
Gannon, a Republican, said Whitney is a good fit for the job, adding that he is not endorsing Whitney’s candidacy, at least not yet.
“Tim did talk to me, and we see each other on a regular basis,” Gannon said. “I wish good success to him. There will be a number of people who run for office, and I’m just going to wait and see how it turns out. What I believe is there will be several highly qualified people like him who will run.”
The 2026 primary election will be on Aug. 4 and the 2026 general election will be held on Nov. 3.
Gannon’s final day in office will be Dec. 31, 2026.
The county executive’s annual salary is $124,971.
Whitney’s annual salary as undersheriff is just more than $112,000.
Gannon
Gannon, 69, of De Soto said he is not seeking reelection so he can spend more time with his sons, who live in London, England, and Dallas, Texas, and grandchildren.
Gannon’s wife, State Sen. Elaine Gannon (R-District 3) announced late last year that she would not seek reelection in 2024, also citing a desire to spend more time with family.
Dennis Gannon was first elected to office as county executive in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.
Gannon said he is proud of his time as county executive.
“I’ve always been saying that at some point I’ll go through my calendar and use it as check marks on what I’ve done, to remind me of the appointments I’ve had to get me where I am now,” he said.
Whitney
Whitney, 42, of Festus has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2002. He served as a corporal and sergeant and held command positions in the department’s SWAT and narcotics division before being named undersheriff in 2017.
He graduated from Northwest High School in 2000, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Western Governors University in 2019 and a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University in 2021.
“My current role has many similar functions to those of the county executive,” Whitney said. “It has allowed me to demonstrate my understanding of public policy building, my commitment to conservative principles of budgeting and my cultivation of relationships with elected and other community leaders, all of which are important roles of the executive position.”
Whitney said he had been approached to run for county executive in 2017 when Ken Waller decided not to seek a third term as county executive. However, Sheriff Dave Marshak asked Whitney to remain with the department, and Whitney moved into the undersheriff role.
Marshak said he supports Whitney’s decision to seek the county executive seat.
“Tim would bring in a new era of efficiency, communication and transparency that Jefferson County government has never known,” Marshak said. “It’s not an indictment on anyone before him, but I believe he will be the most effective county executive we have ever seen.”
Whitney and his wife, Stefanie, have two children.