There is a three-way race for the Republican nomination for Greene County Supervisor District Three and today we introduce the final candidate.
Dan Benitz originally grew up on a farm in northeast Kansas. He then moved to Iowa in 1968 after he earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University to teach at Dallas Center-Grimes. After three years, he moved to Jefferson to start a high school industrial technology and vocational program. During his tenure, he also earned a master’s degree in education from Iowa State University and also taught adult education classes. He started high school girls track in 1972 and also started the high school construction program. Benitz produced several national champions in industrial tech and vocational contests, along with being named professional of the year by the Jefferson Rotary Club in 2004. He also served on the Jefferson City Council to fill a vacancy after winning a special election in November of 2016 until he resigned in May of 2017.
Benitz explains his comments on the Greene County Diversity Project, which Greene County Development Corporation is trying to bring in the Latino population to not only fill the over 200 available jobs in the county, but to also live here.
“I guess I’m kind of in the middle, I’m not against not for (it) totally. I just want to think things out and make sure that we’re not jumping something that’s going to cost us a lot of money down the road. I think a moderate approach is the way to go on it. I don’t think we’re going to get 400 families moving to Greene County, I just don’t want to be disillusioned by a sales pitch.”
He describes why he is running for Greene County Supervisor.
“I’ve been asked for several years to do it and I hadn’t thought really seriously about it until Roger Olhausen came and talked to me, who’s the chair of the (Greene County) Republican Party. But the main reason is to help Greene County, help business and industry, agriculture and the people that live here in our county have a safe place to live.”
He lives with his wife and they have two adult children and five grandchildren. Benitz is running against Cassie George and James Hedges for the Republican nomination for Greene County Supervisor District Three in the upcoming June Primary Election.