McCarty defeats House in county clerk ‘upset’

November 6, 2018 | 10:59 pm

Updated November 7, 2018 | 9:48 pm

Leslie McCarty watching election results with family and friends at her home. | Photo by AP Imagery

In what could be referred to as an unexpected upset, Leslie McCarty has been declared the winner of the Daviess County Clerk race. McCarty, who hopes to “invigorate the clerk’s office with fresh eyes,” defeated Democratic opponent Richard House, who has worked for the county clerk’s office for 22 years.

“Because there’s not an incumbent, it was really anybody’s ballgame,” McCarty said of the tight race. “I’m really humbled that people think that highly of me and of Richard. I really couldn’t have had a better opponent; he’s a great guy.”

McCarty, who has been the Kentucky Room manager at the Daviess County Public Library for the last 15 years, said she now wants to serve the county in a different way. She also said, with her library background, she is already familiar with the records from the county clerk’s office.

As far as resigning from her position in the Kentucky Room to work as county clerk, McCarty said, “Instead of looking back on history, I get to make history.”

As the director of Honor and Remember Kentucky, McCarty is also passionate about veterans issues.

“I’m hoping I can have a voice for them that they didn’t have before,” McCarty said.

McCarty celebrated the victory at home surrounded by family and friends.

David “Oz” Osborne, the current county clerk, whom McCarty will be replacing when he retires at the end of 2018, weighed in on the results.

“You talk about an upset; this is major,” Osborne said. “It’s not taking anything away from Leslie,
but the Republican straight ticket absolutely was the game changer — but it’s politics.”

According to the county clerk’s office, McCarty received 18,103 votes (52.5 percent) and House received 16,387 votes (47.5 percent) — a difference of 1,716 votes. There were 2,327 more straight party Republican ballots than Democratic ballots.

As far as whether or not McCarty will keep House as chief deputy she said, “I hope so.”

November 6, 2018 | 10:59 pm

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