Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Until now. 

Kristine Lytle formally launched her campaign for Cayuga County clerk outside of the Cayuga County Office Building on Wednesday. Lytle, a registered Conservative, is one of three candidates in the race to succeed Sue Dwyer, the longtime county clerk who will not seek reelection this year. 

Chris Petrus, a Republican and Cayuga County legislator, and Brian Scanlan, a Democrat and retired Auburn firefighter, are also running for county clerk. 

What separates Lytle from her two opponents is her experience. She has worked at the county Department of Motor Vehicles for 16 years. The county clerk oversees the department. 

"This is not a career change for me. It is not a political aspiration for me," Lytle said. "This is the next logical step in the progression of my career." 

When Dwyer announced that she will not run for another term, Lytle recalled feeling sad because of the longtime clerk's "incredible track record." She also praised Dwyer's leadership of the office and her guidance. 

But that announcement also led to a feeling of uncertainty, Lytle said. She wondered what would happen to the departments overseen by the clerk and who would step up to lead the office. That's the moment when she began considering a run for clerk. 

"I am the only candidate with the qualifications and the experience to transition seamlessly into this position," Lytle said. 

Although Lytle is a Conservative Party member, the party's leaders highlighted her background as a key factor in the decision to endorse her for county clerk.

Andy Cuddy, a local attorney and a member of the party's executive committee, told the crowd of supporters that Lytle is "the best candidate in this race for the job." He mentioned her leadership, management and organizational skills, which he says are necessary to succeed Dwyer. 

Cayuga County Conservative Party Chairman David Pappert celebrated Lytle's candidacy as a "historic event" because it's the first time the party is running someone for a countywide office. Because of New York's fusion voting system, which allows parties to cross-endorse candidates backed by other parties, the Conservative Party has traditionally endorsed Republicans for countywide offices. 

With Lytle, Conservatives had an opportunity to achieve a first. 

"As trailblazing as that is for the party, it's much more important to recognize that the reason we are running our own candidate is because the best possible candidate for this job, Kristine Lytle, just happens to be a registered Conservative," Pappert said. 

Lytle's vision for the office includes restoring some services that were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that she wants to make more local DMV services available online to compete with the state. 

"This position mandates an individual with a drive for community interaction and an ability to multitask all while delivering accurate and consistent customer service ... I'm that person," Lytle said.