After knocking on more than 1,000 voters’ doors, Republican Kathy Grimes Smith won the right to run in the November general election against incumbent Brown County clerk Brenda Woods.
Smith defeated fellow Republican Deb Noe in the closest race in the county. Noe earned 48.5 percent of the vote and Smith earned 51.5 percent in the race for Brown County clerk. Vote totals were 1,032 for Noe and 1,095 for Smith.
“I’m excited and surprised,” Smith said after learning she had won the nomination.
Smith is a paramedic/firefighter, but she has many years of experience working elections. She’s worked eight election cycles at the absentee voting station and served on the traveling voter board. She has also served as a poll inspector — the person in charge of allocating and issuing ballots and processing absentee votes.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]She said it was an adjustment being on the candidate end this time as opposed to a poll worker. This is not her first time on a ballot, though; she first ran for office when she was 20, against Earl Piper for coroner.
Her next steps after winning? First, going home to get a good night of sleep. “(Then), start game-planning for the fall. It will be here shortly,” she said.
Smith won the Republican nomination by only 63 votes, but Noe said she would “probably” rule out a recount. “I don’t want to put us all through that again. … We’ve always gotten along, so there’s no sense in having bad feelings,” Noe said.
“I’m not bitter,” she said.
“I wish I would have won, but (Smith) won, so great. I congratulated her and we gave each other a hug. It’s all good.”
Noe said she could not have worked harder on her campaign and that she felt good about it. “I had a good time. I have no regrets,” she said.
“I would like to thank everybody for their support — everyone who voted for me, everyone who helped me with my campaign. I’ve met a lot of good people. I really had a good time. I wouldn’t trade it.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How You Voted” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Brown Circuit Court Clerk
Republican
Kathy (Grimes) Smith 1,095
Deb Noe 1,032
Democrat
Brenda Woods 1,113
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