An East Ridge pastor said he is waging a write-in campaign for County Commission District 8 for the August general election.
Rev. Jeff P. Crim has filed a Certificate of Write In Candidacy with the Hamilton County Election Commission. Mr. Crim’s name will not be listed on the ballot, but voters have the option of writing “Jeff P. Crim” in the space provided on the ballot and having their votes counted.
Incumbent Tim Boyd defeated East Ridge Mayor Brent Lambert in the Republican primary.
He said, "The recent primary election for Hamilton County Commission District 8 was an unfortunate failure of local democracy.
There were no candidates for voters to choose from in the Democratic Primary, and both candidates in the Republican primary focused on negative campaigning. The result is the only name on the ballot in the general election is a candidate who has been criminally indicted. Voters should have more voice than that. Nobody should be forced to accept the victory of a candidate under these circumstances simply because there is no other choice.
Jeff Crim has served as pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in East Ridge for almost seven years. He lives in East Ridge with his wife and son.
He said he believes that District 8 "has a lot of unacknowledged strengths which make it a wonderful place to live and work. His ultimate goal is to be an advocate for all people of District 8 regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin and to build a strong, safe, and vibrant communities in Hamilton County."