County's recorder of deeds to face first challenge in 16 years

Cape Girardeau County Recorder of Deeds Janet Robert has entered relatively unfamiliar territory.

For the first time since 1994, Robert will face an opponent in the November general election.

Robert, who has held the office for 33 years, will face the winner of the Aug. 3 Republican primary between real estate agent Shelly Lane and J.C. Penney department store supervisor Scott Clark. Robert is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket.

"I've faced [opponents] before," Robert said. "Yes, our county is leaning Republican but I don't know how much that affects local races. I don't consider the recorder of deeds office to be political, and I firmly believe the citizens of Cape Girardeau County will look at my service and the job I have done over the years."

A lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau County, Robert attended Southeast Missouri State University before marrying Norman A. Robert Jr. in 1966. She stayed home with her children full time until then-Missouri governor Joseph P. Teasdale appointed her to the recorder of deeds position in 1977.

The following year Robert won election to the office.

The recorder of deeds issues and records marriage licenses. Her office also records real estate transactions, plats, surveys and military discharges.

During her tenure Robert has streamlined the operation of the office from when documents were handwritten and bound into books.

While Clark and Lane did not say that Robert has done an unsatisfactory job during her tenure as recorder of deeds, they reiterated the strengths that they could contribute to the office.

"Cape Girardeau County voters have an opportunity for the first time in at least a decade to select from a pool of more than one candidate, each of whom bring different strengths, talents and experiences to the table," Clark said. "My professional background in management, master's degree in public administration, familiarity with records management and long-standing interest in local government all combine to make me a highly qualified candidate for recorder of deeds."

Lane said her people skills and experience with dealing with potential clients at Realty Executives of Cape County would be a plus in the job.

"People from my generation have seen many technological advances and have been forced to adapt and evolve with new technologies," Lane said. "Whatever further innovations within the world of technology occur, I fully believe I will be quite capable of understanding and utilizing. ... Although the tasks involved with this position may seem monotonous to some, I look forward to going to work and doing something I'm good at on a daily basis."

Former Cape Girardeau County auditor and Republican H. Weldon Macke said he thinks dissatisfaction with President Obama and other Democrats in Congress have contributed to two Republican challengers running against Robert who may not have otherwise filed against her in the past.

"Everyone is fed up with the president and that plays a part in more Republicans entering the race this year," Macke said. "Janet has been lucky all these years that no one has filed against her."

Jerry Reynolds said even when he first started as Cape Girardeau County assessor in 1976 that party lines never were an issue of disagreement between all office holders in the county administrative building. Reynolds said that despite most of the office holders now being Republican, he is unaware of any of them having anything against Robert.

He said that many times when an incumbent faces a challenger on the county level, voters see past party lines and cast their ballot for the incumbent based on his or her job performance.

"It's not a political thing," Reynolds said. "In this building no one really pays attention as whether you are Republican, Democrat or a member of another party.

"We're all elected to do a job and partisan politics doesn't stand in our way of being effective," Reynolds said. "If you do a good job, people will return you to office."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

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