Roosevelt GOP selects county clerk nominee

PORTALES - The Roosevelt County Republican Party has selected Mandi Park as its nominee for county clerk in the November general election.

The party was tasked to find a successor following the sudden death of Stephanie Hicks McMath, who was found deceased at her home Aug. 23.

Park, who has been with the clerk's office since January 2018, told The News she filed her declaration of candidacy Monday morning.

Hicks McMath, 52, had served as county clerk since appointment in late 2018. She was unopposed in her Republican primary run and did not have a challenger in the general election for what would have been her first elected term.

New Mexico state law allows a political party to replace a candidate on a general election ballot nine weeks prior to election day, provided the vacancy occurred after the primary and at least 10 weeks prior to election day. That deadline, in this case, was Tuesday. Because the office was a county office, appointment fell to the Roosevelt County Republican Party.

Park sent a communication to county employees Monday afternoon, and later shared it with The News. She said following a difficult week, which included a Saturday funeral for Hicks McMath, she talked with her family and prayed before deciding to run for the position.

She noted Hicks McMath planned to run for two full terms, at which point she would be eligible for retirement.

"I planned to have eight years to contemplate the decision whether or not to run for office," Park said. "I planned to have a decade of experience to guide me to know if running for office was the right decision for me. Plans change."

Nath Baca, who had served as chief deputy clerk under Hicks McMath, has been handling clerk duties since Aug. 24. Park said she plans to keep Baca in the chief deputy clerk position. The Roosevelt County Commission holds the power to appoint somebody else for the remainder of the year, but Park said the plan is for Baca to remain in the position for the remainder of the term.

Park worked four years in the county manager's office, and said she was a precinct official in elections between 1996 and 2004.

"While I would be unopposed on the ballot in November, a vote for me would be a vote of confidence in our entire office," Park said in her letter to county employees. "I realize there will be a learning curve, but with Nath as the chief deputy, and with Silke's (Humpe) help, I feel confident that we can and will get the job done and in the process, pay tribute to Stephanie."

Park said her biggest area of concern going forward will be training in the budget process.

Clerks offices around the state have pledged whatever support is needed by the Roosevelt office, in both general clerk's office duties and the upcoming election.