![\"Scott](\"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Krahling-Scott-336x268.jpg\")
<\/a>Courtesy photo<\/p>
Do\u00f1a Ana County Chief Deputy Clerk Scott Krahling<\/p><\/div>\n
Krahling, a Democrat who is currently the chief deputy clerk, announced in March<\/a> his plans to seek the office next year. His boss, Democrat Lynn Ellins, is term-limited from seeking re-election.<\/p>\n Krahling’s focus shifted\u00a0about two weeks ago when five employees of the clerk’s office were charged with various crimes:<\/p>\n Krahling told NMPolitics.net\u00a0he’s suspending his campaign and focusing on\u00a0working to\u00a0restore trust<\/a> in the clerk’s office. Among his current duties is coordinating work of a task force that will\u00a0examine the office\u2019s internal procedures<\/a> related to the protection of information.<\/p>\n \u201cI miss political events because I just can\u2019t find myself thinking about that right now when there\u2019s so much that needs to be done here to regain public trust,” Krahling said.\u00a0\u201cIf I decide after the dust settles on all of this that I\u2019m still the best candidate, then there may be more to say at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n There’s one other declared candidate — the man who blew the whistle on the alleged crimes in the clerk’s office, Republican R.J. Hernandez<\/a>.<\/p>\n The alleged crimes\u00a0and\u00a0Ellins’ firing of Hernandez days after the arrests\u00a0have people concerned<\/a> about what’s happening in the clerk’s office. Hernandez alleges he was fired in retaliation for\u00a0going to law enforcement.\u00a0Ellins denies that. Personnel laws prevent him from explaining why he fired Hernandez.<\/p>\n If Krahling runs for clerk next year, county policy requires him to\u00a0take off the two weeks before the primary and general elections.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s a good practice so that the public doesn\u2019t have the perception that there\u2019s something fishy going on,” Krahling said.<\/p>\n Ellins hired\u00a0Krahling, a former county commissioner, to be the office’s elections supervisor in 2013<\/a>. Krahling became chief deputy clerk last year<\/a> when Mario Jimenez left that job.<\/p>\n\n