Howard County Presiding Commissioner Jerimiah Johnmeyer announced he will seek a third term.

Johnmeyer won a two-way race in the Republican Primary in 2018 and unseated Democratic incumbent Sam Stroupe in the general election by 145 votes that November. He ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections in 2022.

“I have enjoyed serving Howard County for the past seven years,” Johnmeyer said. “I am not a politician, I’m an elected official. I am proud to be able to serve everyone in the county.”

Johnmeyer also serves on various boards, including the Howard County Economic Development Board, the Regional Planning Commission, and the Transportation Advisory Committee.

A lifelong Howard County resident, Johnmeyer graduated from Fayette High School in 1994 and now runs the family farm.

“I hope my business mind, hard work, and common-sense way of thinking bring value to Howard County,” he said.

As Presiding Commissioner, Johnmeyer is one of three elected commissioners tasked with overseeing the road and bridge department, the county health department, buildings and grounds, and the Emergency Management Agency.

“During my years of holding office, the County has passed several performance audits by the State of MO and independent audit companies,” he said. “The Commission office is also very engaged in Economic Development for the county. In 2021, the county received $1.8 million from the federal government for lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once we received the final rule on how the money could be used, the commission office unanimously decided to put the money to use on our aged infrastructure. The courthouse got new A/C and heat registers, and the courtyard got new sidewalks. The courthouse, bandstand, and Howard County Jail received new roofs. The Keller building had water abated from the crawl space, and the water loop under half the building was replaced.”

Johnmeyer said plans for 2026 include replacing the other half of the water loop at the Keller Building and installing a new air handler for the A/C systems at the Keller Building and the courthouse, which should be more efficient. The commission also plans to replace the old tile floor in the courthouse’s common areas.

The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4 with the general election on Nov. 3. The filing period runs from Feb. 24 to March 31.