First Washita County Candidates Declare Intentions To File

Washita County voters will see a familiar face on the ballot again this year. County Clerk Kristen Dowell has announced her intent to seek a third term in office.

According to Dowell, the county clerk serves a vital role in helping to manage Washita County’s government. The clerk’s office is responsible for the county payroll, managing all of the county’s purchases, and maintaining all of the county records - including land and mineral, water, and wind rights.

Dowell said she is proud of her office’s track record during the past eight years and hopes to continue the trend if returned to office by Washita County voters. That track record, she said, includes digitizing Washita County land records and making them available online, moving the county onto the SimpliFile system, which allows for land records to be filed electronically, transitioning the county onto the state’s chart of accounts in order to better manage the county’s finances in accordance with the state’s requirements, and getting every county record back to the beginning of records scanned into an electronic database.

“I am very passionate about the job,” Dowell said. “I take on the responsibilities with everyone’s best interests in mind. I don’t just worry about my office, I worry about the county as a whole.”

The general election will be held Tuessday, Nov. 3, 2020. The candidate filing period begins at 8:00 a.m. April 8, 2020, and closes at 5:00 p.m. April 10, 2020.