David Grimes (Alabama politician)

David Gene Grimes, II (born June 6, 1953), is an insurance agent in Montgomery, Alabama, who is a Republican former member of the Alabama House of Representatives from District 73 in Montgomery County. He is a candidate to return to the legislature from District 77 in the general election scheduled for November 4, 2014.

Background

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Grimes graduated in 1974 from Troy State University in Troy,^[1] Alabama and entered into the life insurance business in 1981. He and his wife, the former Barbara Calhoun (born 1956), a native of Opelika, Alabama, have two sons: David, III, and Tyler. He is a member and deacon of the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery. He has coached Little League baseball and served as a board member of the YMCA's Camp Chandler. Grimes is affiliated with both Rotary International and the Lions Club.^[2]

Political life

In 2002, Grimes challenged the long-term incumbent state Representative, fellow Republican Perry O. Hooper, Jr., son of the former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, Perry O. Hooper, Sr. Grimes defeated Hooper, 3,582 (52.3 percent) to 3,273 (47.8 percent), and was then unopposed in the general election.^[2]Hooper's defeat is attributed in part to a $12,000 fine in 2001 from the Alabama Ethics Commission.^[3]

Grimes was reelected in 2006 and ran unsuccessfully in 2008 for the United States House of Representatives from Alabama's 2nd congressional district. In 2010, he barely won re-nomination to a third term over fellow Republican Jeremy Walker, 2,963 (50.7 percent) to 2,885 (49.3 percent). He then narrowly lost the general election to the Democrat Joe Hubbard, 8,104 (50.9 percent) to 7,817 (49.1 percent).^[2]

In 2012, Grimes endorsed the candidacy of Mitt Romney for President of the United States, who won the electoral votes of Alabama. Grimes is running in 2014 in state House District 77. He will face the incumbent African American Democrat, Representative John F. Knight, Jr.^[2]

References