Ryan Messer wins big in race for Walton Supervisor of Elections. Here's what 'sets him apart'

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Walton County voters decided experience matters at their Supervisor of Elections Office as Ryan Messer, the ranking assistant supervisor, overwhelmed challenger Dan Curry Tuesday to win the right to succeed his boss, the retiring Bobby Beasley.

Unofficial totals had Messer capturing 12,117 of 16,033 votes cast in the race to Curry's 3,916.

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The race was decided in the Republican primary due to there being no Democratic or independent party opposition.

Messer has been involved in Walton County elections since he was a teenager. When he was in high school, he worked preparing Walton County polling sites for election day.

"I think what really sets me apart is that I'm ready to go from day one," he said. "I come in with institutional knowledge, which is very important in this job."

Messer began his career with the Supervisor of Elections Office while he was still in college, working as a deputy supervisor in 2007-08 while attending Florida State University.

At 35, he has been with the office for 15 years. He is presently certified as an elections professional and last year was named the assistant supervisor under Beasley.

The importance of knowing the job can't be understated, Messer said. The new Supervisor of Elections will be called upon to conduct a DeFuniak Springs municipal election in April 2023.

The retiring Beasley has spent 20 years at the helm of the Supervisor of Elections Office. He stepped forward in 2003 to succeed his wife, Melissa Beasley, when she passed away after a battle with leukemia.

Beasley was initially appointed to the position in 2003 and won his first election the next year. He won another election in 2006 and every four years since until Tuesday.

Melissa Beasley was elected to her first and ultimately only term in office in 1998.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Ryan Messer elected Walton County Supervisor of Elections