Hidalgo County’s long-time county clerk announced Monday that he filed paperwork to run in the Democratic primary, seeking his fifth term in office.
Arturo Guajardo Jr., who was first elected in 2006, says he has never taken the support and trust he has received from voters here for granted.
“Since first being elected, I have never stopped running for this office,” he said in his announcement.
Prior to his election, Guajardo was the chief deputy clerk, which he says gave him the momentum to hit the ground running when he first took office in 2007.
“The tax payers of Hidalgo County didn’t have to pay for any on the job training for me. I already had an agenda ready to go immediately upon taking office,” he said. “I also promised to remain in this office and not seek election for another position until all of our projects were completed.”
He says his first project was to digitize all official records, which he says garnished him recognition for being the first in the state to do so. Having these records digital allows the county clerk’s office to provide them online for free.
Guajardo says that as the county clerk he has continued to seek out the latest technology and says the Hidalgo County Clerk’s Office was the first in Texas to use the cloud to store official records.
He also said he initiated a county-wide recycling program that garnered state and national recognition, and that recently he initiated a fraud alert system for property records, which is offered to the public for free.
He says his vision has been to serve the public with the latest technology allowing for efficient and seamless service.
Guajardo’s announcement also recalls the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“Guajardo stepped up and met this unprecedented ordeal with solutions to continue serving the public,” the announcement read. “He first ensured that all employees were protected and kept safe. Second, Guajardo had two walk up windows and a drive-up window installed at the records management building so that the clerk’s services could continue with no interruptions.”
He says serving as county clerk for the past 15 years has been a tremendous honor and privilege.
“During this time, our team has implemented an array of technological advances to improve the quality and efficiency of our service to the people of Hidalgo County,” Guajardo said. “I remain committed to providing quick and easy access to your public records while ensuring that all permanent records are preserved and protected for generations to come.”
