Former sheriff who pleaded guilty to DWI among candidates for Callaway County commissioner race

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Callaway County’s only contested race in the Aug. 4 primary will be the election for the county’s presiding commissioner.

The Republican candidates include Rob Barnes, Larry Robinson and Clay Chism. Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann is not seeking reelection.

Barnes is the only candidate with an active campaign committee listed with the Missouri Ethics Commission as of Wednesday afternoon. Larry Robinson ran for the western district seat in 2024 and lost to Christopher Scott.

Chism is running for office for the first time since he was ousted from his role as Callaway County sheriff.

Chism was removed from his position as the active Callaway County sheriff in June 2023 after his peace officer's license was suspended after he was drunk both on and off the clock. Chism pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI in one of those instances from a 2022 Randolph County case.

He submitted his letter of resignation in April 2024.He was first elected as sheriff in 2016.

Mike Conner is the only person running on the Democratic side in the commissioner’s race.

Other county races are uncontested for Republican incumbents, including

• Auditor Rylee Page
• Associate Circuit Judge Division 6 Christopher Wilson.
• Circuit Clerk Megan Morse
• County Clerk Ronda Miller
• Collector Sarah Gladman
• Recorder of Deeds Christine Kleindienst
• Associate Circuit Judge Division 7 Sue Crane
• Prosecutor Sandra Colhour