The votes are in, and Donna Hillis has won the Republic primary race for county clerk of Butler County. No Democratic challengers filed for the November general election.
Hillis, an office manager in the Butler County Highway Department was one of three candidates for the position. The others on her ticket were state Boards and Commissions director Kyle Aubuchon and Kim Mizell of the Butler County Recorder of Deeds Office.
Hillis had 1,959 votes, a narrow lead over Aubuchon, who came in second with 1,839. Mizell’s total was 538. Hillis carried nine of the 22 precincts and had the advantage in absentee ballots, while Aubuchon won the remaining 13.
“I’m happy and I’m proud. I’m proud to be Butler County Clerk,” Hillis said. She added she enjoyed meeting Aubuchon, Mizell and their families, and felt everyone “ran a good campaign.”
“I want to thank my supporters so, so much... The citizens of our county have spoken and I am so proud to be their county clerk. Rest assured that I will do a good job and continue Tonyi (Deffendall’s) wonderful office,” she said.
Hillis also had high praise for the friends who sacrificed their time and energy to support her campaign — the same friends she was celebrating with after the votes were counted.
“Every one of these people in this room has been with me throughout the whole thing,” she said with emotion.
Hillis decided to run for county clerk because she felt her decades of local administrative experience thoroughly qualified her for the job, and she was ready to advance as a county employee. She has spent 35 years in the municipal budget administration and 27 of those working alongside the county clerk’s office and the commission.
Financial security and election integrity are two of her main priorities as she steps into office. In her campaign interview, Hillis looked forward to helping “create and maintain a responsible and sustainable budget,” and “continue offering safe, dependable, and verifiable elections while receiving rigorous training in the election process.”
She believed the greatest challenges facing the county were budgetary.
“Rising health care costs and fuel prices are just a small part of the challenges we face daily,” she explained. “I am confident that I can work with the Butler County Commission and together we can create a budget that will allow our county to grow as well as meet the needs of our community.”
Hillis, Aubuchon and Mizell began campaigning after current County Clerk Tonyi Deffendall announced her retirement, making the Butler County clerk seat the only contested local election. Deffendall has held the position for 16 years, and served Butler County for a total of 32 years. She will step down at the end of the year.
Deffendall ran for county clerk after her youngest child entered high school.
“I just decided it was time to step up a little bit. And I’m so glad I did, I have truly loved every year and I will miss it,” she said.
Clerk duties encompass budget and payroll, county commission records, the county’s budget, accounts payable, audit preparations and human resources. Butler County residents encounter the clerk’s work without realizing it when they visit a notary (appointed by the clerk), obtain an ATV license (issued by the clerk) or meet with the Board of Equalization (on which the clerk is secretary).