Ada County Clerk Chris Rich plans to retire after his second term ends January 7, 2019. The position oversees a range of daily government tasks – everything from managing the county budget to making sure elections run smoothly.
The clerk’s office also issues marriage licenses – making Rich a central character in Idaho’s marriage equality fight in the fall of 2014. LGBT couples showed up in large numbers to receive marriage licenses from his office once the legal back-and-forth between a federal court and the state ended. A press release from Ada County also credits Rich for leading the push to move many county services online.
His retirement clears the way for Chief Deputy Clerk Phil McGrane to run in 2018. McGrane lost in a primary challenge in his bid for Secretary of State to Lawerence Denney in 2014.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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