New party and a new person will be in charge of the Brown County recorder’s office for the next four years.

Republican Judy Swift defeated Democrat Rhonda Hardin Kelp for the job by 1,499 votes.

Kelp has worked in the recorder’s office for 17 years.

Current Recorder Sandy Cain, a Democrat, was out campaigning for her at polls on Election Day, as were several relatives and unrelated Democrats.

Kelp broke her leg last week and appeared at Democrat headquarters on Election Night in a wheelchair.

Swift said she had imagined herself retiring when she was almost 60, but that changed in 2009 when her husband passed away.

“I thought, ‘You know, it works out that Sandy (Cain) can’t run again, so I think I want to run as recorder.’ That’s something I’ve wanted to do for seven years and that never changed. I’m ready to do something new,” she said.

Swift has served on the county council and is currently the office manager at the Brown County Health Department.

She said she intends to bring transparency to the recorder’s office.

“I want to overly report to the commissioners and (county) council on the moneys that are brought in and where those moneys actually go,” she said.

“Quite honestly, when you talk to some of the council people, they don’t realize where the money is that is brought in and the different places that it goes.”

Swift doesn’t foresee many challenges when she takes over as recorder in January. “Nothing that I’m sure that I can’t handle or work through if there are,” she added.

“I will do my best to not disappoint,” she said.