Sheriff Benton Wins Second Term

After a race that was occasionally punishing but ultimately rewarding, incumbent Sheriff Susan Benton won her bid for a second term.

With all 25 precincts reporting, Benton - Florida's only elected female sheriff - won 24,099 to 19,615 over Grimming, the Florida Highway Patrol commander in the mid 1990s.

"I think it's awesome," said Benton. "Now we've got a lot of work to do the next four years.

That includes accrediting the jail, a program to make teenagers better drivers, tasking more detectives to solve cases, and accreditation in the jail.

"I couldn't have done it without the absolute dedication of the men and women of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office," Benton said.

Long Race

Grimming filed to run for Highlands County sheriff on Oct. 1, 2007.

"We're in our 13th month," said Grimming. "The duration of the campaigning has been very grueling. It certainly tested every candidate's will and desire."

At 5 p.m. on election day, Grimming was still campaigning with his wife, Karen, and most of the other local candidates in front of Restoration Church.

It was tough, Grimming said, reading letters to the editor and hearing facts about him he knew weren't true.

"You have to learn to have a tough skin, and let that stuff bounce off you," said Grimming, who had three decades of law enforcement experience but had never run for election. "You have to realize it's coming from people who don't have the facts."

Grimming characterized the race as aggressive, not dirty.

"I agree with the aggressive part," said Benton. She took exception to the Florida Police Benevolent Association's advertising campaign, which she called deceptive.

"I don't know what part (Grimming) had in that," Benton said.

The public doesn't understand how painful elections are for the candidates, Benton said.

"The most painful part for me was seeing my staff suffer so much. They are so nervous and full of anxiety. They are so disheartened by the PBA's deception, to be attacked like this by your own union."

Learning Experience

The central reason America has political races is so voters can listen to the dialogue among the candidates.

Grimming said the No. 1 issue was how the sheriff's office spent money, and the need for a new $11 million administrative building.

"And certainly they learned about the importance and integrity of the evidence room," Grimming said.

The good news: he met thousands of people at scores of events during the past year.

Wednesday morning will find the Grimmings still in bed.

"I won't be getting up at 5:30 a.m. and campaigning. We'll sleep in and take it easy." And Karen Grimming will announce where she'll want to spend that vacation he's been promising.

As for Benton, "I'll be at work," she said Tuesday night at the Sunset Grille, where her watch party was held.

Highlands County Results

PRESIDENT
John McCain 25,903
Barack Obama 17,913

U.S. CONGRESS
Tom Rooney 26,827
Tim Mahoney 15,679

STATE SENATE
J.D. Alexander 25,677
Scott Thompson 16,212

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Denise Grimsley 25,481
Elton Gissendanner 11,878

CLERK OF COURTS
Bob Germaine 24,694
Mary Wilson 17,626

SHERIFF
Ron Grimming 19,615
Susan Benton 24,099

COUNTY COMMISSION 3
Jeff Carlson 24,706
Jeri Canale 16,858

COUNTY COMMISSION 5
Guy Maxcy 24,006
Zane Thomas 15,929

For statewide results log on to
http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/