Richard Gilmore seeks county supervisor seat

    A special Washington County Democratic convention on Aug. 6 chose Richard Gilmore to represent the party in the District 5 race for county supervisor. Gilmore will face Republican Ron Bennett in the general election in November. The Fifth District includes the southern half of the city of Washington.

    Gilmore grew up on a farm between Anamosa and Monticello. He has fond memories of his youth on a farm that was nearly self-sufficient.

    ?We had a dairy, beef, hog and grain operation,? said Gilmore. ?We never wanted for anything because the farm provided everything we needed.?

    Gilmore started working off the farm when he was 14 years old. The lesson he took away from his adolescence is that actions have consequences, and people should be held accountable for their actions.

    ?Growing up then, I was very aware that you are responsible for your own actions,? said Gilmore. ?Personal responsibility is important to me.?

    He graduated from Anamosa Community School in 1970, and later went to a college known as United Electronics in West Des Moines, where he obtained an associate?s degree.

    Gilmore has changed jobs many times. He worked for the Veterans Administration for 10 years repairing CAT scans and other medical equipment. He lived in Des Moines for 20 years from 1974 to 1994, at which time he and his wife Robin Plattenberger moved to Waterloo. Gilmore and Plattenberger moved to Washington one year later, and have been here ever since.

    Nowadays, Gilmore spends most of his time as a property developer and volunteer. He was president of the Iowa Bicycle Racing Association for eight years. He has been involved in Habitat for Humanity, and has worked on the playgrounds at Washington?s Sunset Park. 

    Gilmore entered the race late in the campaign because the Democrats already had a nominee when the race for supervisor began. Linda Brown of Washington was the nominee but dropped out in May, citing a conflict of interest owing to the fact that she had just accepted a position in the USDA office in Washington and that governmental employees cannot run for partisan office.

For the full story, see the Aug. 20 edition of The Washington Evening Journal