Phil McGrane, longtime elections official, sets sights on Ada County clerk’s office

So far, Phil McGrane is the only person who’s filed paperwork needed to run for Ada County clerk in the 2018 election.

McGrane is chief deputy to County Clerk Chris Rich, who announced recently that he’ll retire next year after eight years in office. If he wins, McGrane would follow in Rich’s footsteps. Rich served 13 years as chief deputy to Clerk J. David Navarro before ascending to elected office.

McGrane ran for Idaho secretary of state in 2014, but lost in the Republican primary to eventual general election winner Lawerence Denney. He started working for the clerk’s office in 2005. In 2007, he went to law school at the University of Denver. After graduating, he returned and has been chief deputy clerk since.

Rich announced his support for McGrane at the end of an Ada County press release noting his retirement.

The county clerk’s office has a long list of responsibilities. Its duties include managing all court filings and processes, conducting elections, overseeing county finances and budgets, recording property records, issuing marriage licenses and processing indigent assistance, among other clerical functions.

County officials credit Rich with helping modernize the systems for providing those services by pushing online processing of documents, payments, recordings and court filings.

The formal filing period for candidates for the May 2018 primary starts in late February.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Phil McGrane, longtime elections official, sets sights on Ada County clerk’s office."