Minor upsets Grimme for surveyor

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor

May 07, 2008 12:25 am

— First time candidate Dan Minor upset incumbent Jake Grimme to capture the Republican Party nomination for Howard County surveyor.
With all 71 precincts counted, Minor received 3,126 (55 percent) to Grimme’s 2,594 (45 percent). Minor led from the first precinct that was counted and slowly built up his lead as the count was tabulated.
There is currently no Democratic candidate for the surveyor’s office. The party has until July to name a candidate to be included on the November ballot.
Grimme was seeking a fourth term in the office having first won election in 1996. Prior to that, he served as a county commissioner from 1980 to 1988.
Minor, who served as chief deputy in the surveyor’s office for nine years, campaigned on the fact that he was a registered land surveyor, something Grimme was not.
“I believe everyone realized it should be a registered land surveyor in the position,” Minor said. “I got the word out that I was.”
Republican Party Chairman Craig Dunn said he was not surprised by the outcome.
“The longer you’re an incumbent you make decisions over your political career,” he said.
“Every year in that position you make decisions that irritate people.”
Dunn said Republicans crossing over and voting in the Democratic Party primary probably hurt Grimme’s bid for re-election.
“He has provided a lifetime of service to the people of Howard County,” Dunn said of Grimme. “I commend him for that service.”