“The most important reason I am running for reelection is that I believe we deserve a proven independent voice on the commission,” Post 3 Fayette County Commissioner Peter Pfeifer wrote in an email sent Sunday evening.

In his bid for a third term, Pfeifer pointed to his conservative values and said that he is a social, financial and security conservative.

“My goal is to serve you,” Pfeifer wrote. “I am outspoken when I think your interest is not being represented or respected. I am independent when I think the direction is wrong and I try to patiently and calmly represent you. You may not always agree with me (I’d be real surprised if you did), but I tell you what I think and believe and I don’t lie to you.

“We never know how a person will behave in public office until we elect them and they actually serve” Pfeifer said. “I’ve served, so you know how I will behave.”

Pfeifer ran his first elective race as one of five candidates in a June 2001 special election to replace Commission Chairman Harold Bost, who resigned unexpectedly. Pfeifer defeated Scott Gilbert the following month in a runoff.

In his first bid for reelection Pfeifer defeated Sam Chapman in the GOP summer primary in 2004 and faced no opposition in the fall general election.

In his first two terms, Pfeifer formed the third sure vote in an usually unbeatable majority of Chairman Greg Dunn and Commissioner Linda Wells.

Since the defeat of both Dunn and Wells two years ago, Pfeifer has often found himself as the lone holdout against Chairman Jack Smith and commissioners Robert Horgan, Herb Frady and Eric Maxwell.