2006 St. Charles County Executive election

The 2006 St. Charles County Executive election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent County Executive Joe Ortweth declined to seek re-election.^[1] Former State Senator Steve Ehlmann, the County's Director of Administration, won the Republican primary unopposed and faced marketing manager Jim Rutherford, the Democratic nominee, in the general election.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch endorsed Ehlmann over Rutherford, praising his "experience and temperament" and his promise of "a gentler, less combative administration." Though it praised Rutherford's policy goals, the paper noted that "he cannot equal Mr. Ehlmann's breadth of experience."^[2]

Ehlmann defeated Rutherford by a wide margin, winning 60 percent of the vote to Rutherford's 40 percent.^[3]