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|Articles|September 1, 2008

Political run ends in defeat for Kansas vet

Veterinarian Gary D. Harmon, 68, of Augusta, Kan., was defeated in his bid for 77th District state representative Aug. 5 by incumbent David Crum, R-Augusta.

AUGUSTA, KAN. — Veterinarian Gary D. Harmon, 68, of Augusta, Kan., was defeated in his bid for 77th District state representative Aug. 5 by incumbent David Crum, R-Augusta.

Harmon collected 17 percent of the votes, or 334, while Crum raked in 83 percent, or 1,606.

"I got clobbered," Harmon admits.

As a novice running for state representative, Harmon says he made "some dumb mistakes," but he did gain experience.

Running against a popular incumbent didn't help his campaign, Harmon says.

Dr. Gary Harmon

After serving 23 years on the Andover Board of Education and serving as one of the original board members of the South Central Kansas Education Service Center, Harmon is hanging up his political hat.

"In two years, I'll be 70," he says. "I may be getting too old."

But it was definitely a hard-earned political retirement, he jokes.


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