Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Beggs earns county assessor spot

Calloway

Senior writer

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Cheers were heard throughout the Roosevelt County Courthouse Tuesday night when final voting numbers were passed out by election officials, when two incumbents retained seats and one challenger claimed victory in Tuesday’s Republican primaries.

link JOSHUA LUCERO: Staff photo

George Beggs,Republican candidate for Roosevelt County Assessor, hugs his sister Shawn Bohm at Roosevelt County Courthouse after winning the race Tuesday against incumbent Kenner Carrasco.

Several of those joyous sounds came from Republican Roosevelt County Assessor candidate George Beggs and his family when he found out he beat out incumbent Kenner Carrasco in Tuesday’s primary, with 605 votes to Carrasco’s 469.

“I’m looking forward to November,” said Beggs, who will face off against Democrat Royene Tivis in the general election. “It’s been a long run.”

Beggs, 38, has 13 years of experience working in the assessor’s office. The father of two and native of Milnesand said he has plans to carry the office forward if elected in November.

“I want the office to be professional and friendly for the taxpayers of Roosevelt County,” Beggs said.

Carrasco, 46, was appointed to the office in July 2011 and worked there for 12 years.

“I was appointed to do this job. I did it,” Carrasco said. “I’m not real political. I just did the job I was appointed to do. The other two opponents are more political than I am.

“It’s not the end of the world for me. My hope is that it keeps going in the direction that we’ve sent it. I’m pretty proud of what I’ve done in the last three years. Good luck to the next assessor ’cause it’s a lot harder job than people think.”

Roosevelt County Magistrate Judge Linda Short also claimed victory in Tuesday’s Republican primary over challenger and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office deputy Timothy Gibson. No Democrats ran for the position.

Short had a landslide win, securing 76 percent of ballots cast, or 846 votes to Gibson’s 262, and celebrated with a host of family and friends in the courthouse.

“I feel great,” Short said of her re-election. “I’m am very relieved it’s over so tomorrow and the next four years it will be business as usual.”

Attempts to reach Gibson were unsuccessful.

Roosevelt County Clerk DeAun Searl also celebrated a win over challenger Beverly Bennett.

Searl, who was appointed to the position in December by the Roosevelt County Commission, has been working with the office for six years.

“I’m honored and I’d like to thank all the voters that came out and showed support for me,” Searl said. “We need to continue in the path that was set with the previous clerks by getting our documents online and getting course training for the employees.”

Bennett did not return requests for comment Tuesday night.

Roosevelt County has 5,024 registered Republican voters and 3,284 registered Democrats. About 23 percent of registered Republicans voted in Tuesday’s primary and 11 percent of Democrats.

Tuesday’s primary votes will be canvassed Friday, according to the clerk’s office.

Voter turnout for both Republicans and Democrats decreased from 2012’s primary. About 27 percent of Republicans voted in 2012 and 14 percent of Democrats.