Less than a week after Mower County Recorder Sue Davis announced her plans to retire, a potential successor has already announced her candidacy.

Chief Deputy Recorder Jill Cordes, who’s worked with Davis for more than 11 years, announced Friday that she plans to run to be the next recorder of Mower County.

While she doesn’t plan to begin campaigning for a few months, Cordes said her experience will be the highlight of her campaign.

“It’s not like you can go out to Riverland (Community College) and learn this,” She said. “It’s on the job training.”

During her 11 years with the county, Cordes has assumed the recorders duties whenever Davis is gone.

Cordes has 20 years of experience working with Mower County recorders. Before working as chief deputy recorder, Cordes worked with former recorder Charles Enger for nine years at Enger Abstract.

Cordes and Davis are the only full-time employees in the recorder’s office, along with two part-time employees.

The recorder is responsible for collecting and keeping the records and documents in the county, like deeds and military discharges. Mower County still keeps records online and in books in the recorder’s office. Cordes said she plans to keep maintaining the records both ways because many people prefer to look at a printed version of the records.

“We have to do everything according to Minnesota statutes, so you have to know those,” she said.

The person elected as recorder this November could be the last person to achieve the status through an election in Mower County for some time. The Mower County Board of Commissioners could change the recorder position to an appointed role, much like the county engineer.

A bill to allow the county board to make the position appointed passed in the Minnesota House of Representatives, but the county hasn’t been informed if the bill passed in the Minnesota Senate.

It appears the county would no longer have sufficient time to make the change before candidates file affidavits of candidacy in mid-May.

Cordes wouldn’t say if she supported appointing a recorder; however, she said it’s a position that requires experience.

“I’m just hoping that the voters will choose the one with the most experience,” she said.