Bookout wins treasurer's race

Republican Rhonda Bookout pulled ahead of Democrat Rachel Toney late Tuesday and easily won the Curry County treasurer’s race.

Bookout received 7,749 votes to 6,005 for Toney. The race was close most of the evening and Toney was leading early, but Bookout pulled away when absentee and early-voting ballots were counted.

Bookout said she credits promotional material she sent to absentee voters with helping her to victory. She said she worked for the Curry County clerk's office for nine years and knew that names and addresses of those requesting absentee ballots was public record. She gathered the information and mailed those voters material promoting her plans for the office, which include keeping it open during the noon hour for easier public access.

Bookout said a much-publicized dispute she had with a credit-card company was not an issue in the race. Court records showed the credit-card company claimed Bookout failed or refused to pay thousands of dollars owed to the company. Toney said during the campaign that Bookout’s credit-card problems were an example of “poor money management,” but Bookout claimed the dispute would not be an issue with voters.

Toney said she felt a number of voters may have voted a straight-Republican ticket.

“That would be a guess, just looking at the presidential and other races,” she said.

Bookout will receive a four-year term and succeed Linda Hall, who is retiring this year. Hall did not seek re-election.

Toney has been deputy treasurer for eight years.

The county treasurer’s primary responsibility is to account for all money received and dispersed by the county, Hall said.

Hall said the job pays about $42,000 per year.

The Curry County treasurer’s office has four employees, including the treasurer.

Bookout earned the Republican nomination by defeating Beni Dampier, 1,953 votes to 970 votes in the primary election.

Toney ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.