Opinion: Roxann Rankin's experience makes her the best choice for Clerk of Superior Court

It is my privilege to endorse Roxann Rankin for Clerk of Superior Court.

I worked in the court system for almost 40 years, 25 years as a magistrate and 14 years from 2006-2020 as the elected Clerk for Gaston County. Ms. Rankin was my chief assistant and responsible for the operation of the office when I was not there.

It is critically important that we elect someone that has experience in the Clerk’s office. This is a complicated job that requires experience in both the civil and criminal process.

While it is possible to supervise those departments with some training, it is impossible to make the judicial decisions required of the clerk without extensive legal experience.

The Clerk of Superior Court is a judge and has exclusive jurisdiction for hearing and ruling on all probate matters, guardianship matters, foreclosures, adoptions, partitions of land and many others.

I would not have retired had I not known that Ms. Rankin would be appointed to take my place, that’s how much confidence I have in her ability. The Clerk of Superior Court and the Register of Deeds are two elected positions that anyone can file for, but it is extremely important that the voters examine the qualifications of the candidates and vote for the candidate that is qualified for the job.

I encourage you to join me in voting to keep Roxann Rankin as our Clerk of Superior Court.

Larry Brown is the retired Clerk of Superior Court.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Opinion: Roxann Rankin's experience makes her best for Clerk of Court