A race is underway for the open seat of South Essex Register of Deeds as accusations of impropriety fly between candidates vying for the open seat, a position responsible for maintaining crucial property records for 30 communities.
Republican candidate and Rockport resident Jonathan Ring has leveled allegations against his Democratic opponent, Gloucester resident Eileen Duff, including claims of concealing support for Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk in a debate she moderated and pushing an unqualified political supporter for a judgeship.
“Duff moderated a mayoral debate while concealing support for one of the candidates,” Ring alleged in a letter to local media. He also accused Duff of pushing “an unqualified political supporter for judgeship.”
Duff vehemently denies these allegations, characterizing them as “unsubstantiated” and suggesting they stem from past political rivalries.
“I don’t even know what to say to Mr. Ring about this,” Duff said. “My reputation speaks for itself , I have both Democratic and Republican support.”
Regarding debate moderation and other candidates that she donated to, Duff said that she always disclosed those donations. She defended her support of Ed O’Reilly for a judgeship, stating that while she backed his application, he didn’t ultimately secure the position.
“Just because I support somebody doesn’t mean they become a judge,” Duff explained.
The controversy has added an unexpected dimension to a race for an often-overlooked but crucial position, now open for the first time in nearly five decades after John O’Brien’s 48-year tenure.
Candidates experience
Duff, a six-term Governor’s Councilor and realtor from Gloucester, sees her combination of public service experience and real estate background as uniquely qualifying her for the role.
“I know public policy, I understand the court system and I’m a super user of the registry because I’m a realtor,” Duff said. “I know how the registry works as a customer. And that’s a very different perspective.”
Ring, a Rockport resident with experience in local government, emphasizes his management skills and customer service background.
“You need the management skills of people, and you need to be able to know how to hire people, because it’s a supervisory role,” Ring said. “I have retail management skills. I have customer service skills. I’ve hired people for different jobs.”
The register of deeds protects property rights and facilitates real estate transactions. The office is responsible for recording and maintaining all property records, including deeds, mortgages, and liens.
Both candidates stress the importance of modernizing the registry’s technology and improving public outreach. Ring proposes auditing the registry’s technology and fraud prevention programs.
“I would probably be just auditing the technology aspect of it and seeing how it can improve both the website, you know, the search functions for the registry,” Ring said.
Duff, while praising the current staff’s efficiency, sees room for improvement in fraud prevention, particularly in the face of increasing cyber threats.
“Our biggest challenge, to be really honest, we don’t know until it happens,” Duff said, referring to title and deed fraud. “But there are a few things we can implement now, you know, getting staff informed and as up to speed as we can on what to look for.”
A need for public outreach
Some have argued for the registers of deeds to be appointed, but others say elections provide direct public oversight, ensure financial integrity and maintain independence from political influence in managing crucial property records.
Ring supports keeping the position elected, saying, “I think the importance is it puts the people in the driver’s seat. This really is a seat that belongs to the people, for the people to decide how this agency is managed.”
Both candidates emphasize the need for enhanced public outreach to educate residents about the registry’s functions and services.
“We can run seminars for free that people can come to at libraries and senior centers, public spaces that are very accessible to people,” Duff said, highlighting potential programs on topics like homestead protection and fraud prevention.
Ring proposes expanding the registry’s services, including incorporating cemetery records and war memorials into the registry’s database to aid in genealogical research and historical preservation.
“Getting cemetery records digitized and transferred to the registry, and making it easy for people to search those records, you know, for genealogy and family history,” Ring suggested.
The election will be held on Nov. 5, coinciding with the presidential election, which is expected to drive high voter turnout.
