EDITORIAL: Weber or Shapiro for Clark County clerkUpdated 2 days ago

Despite being a low-profile and little-understood position, the role of Clark County clerk is important for a county government to effectively serve constituents. The Columbian's Editorial Board recommends a vote for incumbent Scott Weber or challenger Rachel Shapiro in the Aug. 4 primary election.

As always, this is merely a recommendation, designed to provide information and foster discussion. The Columbian trusts that voters will examine the candidates and the duties of the county clerk before casting an informed ballot. The top two vote-getters in the three-person race will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

As explained on the Clark County website: "The County Clerk serves and supports the Superior Court by receiving and processing court documents, attending and assisting in all court proceedings, maintaining the court's files, and entering its orders, judgments and decrees." Like all county executive positions, it is nonpartisan, with candidates not declaring a party preference.

The clerk's duties might sound mundane - until you find yourself in court or awaiting a judgment. Delays or ineptitude surrounding the filing of court records can upend lives and jobs.

Weber has served as county clerk for 16 years, being elected four times. That has been an unexpected journey for somebody who initially ran for the office on a platform of seeing it eliminated or turned into an appointed position.

Now, he strongly defends the importance of the county clerk, and he points to his institutional knowledge and the improvements he has implemented.

"During my time in office," he writes in the Voters' Pamphlet, "I have made significant positive changes, resulting in better, and more responsive customer service. For example, improving the collection of restitution for crime victims, real-time public access to documents and electronic filing - saving citizens legal costs."

While there has been discussion about having the county clerk appointed by the judiciary, Weber now advocates for keeping it an elected position. "I definitely believe there should be a separation between the clerk and the judicial branch," he told the Editorial Board. "There's a tendency where the bench can be overwhelming."

Shapiro and fellow challenger Gerald Gray agree that the clerk should be elected. Unlike Weber, they both have experience as legal professionals and stress familiarity with the legal system as a prerequisite for the job.

Shapiro, who is a Republican precinct committee officer, strongly advocates for an increase in mediation services to keep some conflicts out of court and for the development of self-help portals to assist people in navigating the legal system.

Those might be good ideas, but they are largely out of the purview of the clerk's position. An effective advocate could help county officials develop such systems, but decisions will have to be made elsewhere.

"It's up to the clerk to get the funding and then get people to support it," she told the Editorial Board.

Gray shares much of Shapiro's vision for the position and stressed that he is open to new ideas and willing to learn from others. However, the Editorial Board believes that Shapiro's advocacy and her proactive approach to the position makes her the more compelling challenger to Weber.

The Columbian's Editorial Board recommends Scott Weber and Rachel Shapiro as the best candidates for Clark County clerk.

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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 7:04 AM.