First Election Win for 'Elated' Incumbent

While some may say an incumbent's win is a foregone conclusion, Chesterfield Councilmember Elliot Grissom went out to prove its truth.

Grissom, 65, won a two-year term Tuesday for a Ward 2 council seat that Mayor Bruce Geiger appointed him to last year, when Geiger won the mayor's race.

Grissom and Geiger worked together at Monsanto Company before both retired. Grissom now consults in the finance of business acquisitions.

Grissom beat opponent Tania Pappas nearly 3 to 1, with 73 percent of the vote in Ward 2.

By the numbers

Ward 2 Chesterfield City Council, 9 precincts 

• Elliot Grissom  . . . . . . . . . . 772 votes   73.45 percent
• Tania Pappas  . . . . . . . . . .  274 votes   26.07 percent
• Write-in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     5 votes     .48 percent

"I am very elated with the outpouring of support that we had yesterday. We're very happy with the results," Grissom said about the election, in a phone response to Chesterfield Patch Wednesday morning.

Pappas ran and lost last year in the same ward against now-Councilmember Derek Grier. (Each of four city wards have two councilmembers each for a total of eight, plus a mayor.)

Grissom represents Ward 2, which surrounds much of Chesterfield Parkway to the southeast. He lives in Chesterfield Pointe villas, and served four years on the city's Planning Commission.

To nab the win, Grissom sent out at least three glossy mailers to voters—even replacing his face on one with that of a giant bulldog.

He visited homes and left campaign material hanging on door knobs. He put up yard signs. Grissom appeared to speak up much more frequently in public City Council meetings during the past two months. He hung around afterward speaking to residents about Ward 2 issues—zoning for a church on Schoettler Road.

According to state records, he spent about $4,000 on the campaign, while opponent Pappas did not have to report expenditures and fundraising, declaring she spent under $1,000 on the campaign.

On Wednesday, the day after Election Day, Grissom was picking up remaining yard signs around town.

"I look forward to the upcoming challenges for the next two years," Grissom said. I'm very happy in what's been accomplished in Chesterfield in the past year."