Stuart E. West said it was either his experience that won him a second term as Cheshire County treasurer, or he was simply caught up in the Democratic sweep.

West, a Democrat from Westmoreland, defeated challengers Fred S. Parker, a Republican from Keene, and Patricia E. Putnam, an independent candidate from Stoddard. He took 51 percent of the vote, or 17,929 votes, to Parker’s 12,686 and Putnam’s 4,304.

“I’m delighted that the voters of Cheshire County have given me the opportunity to serve them again,” he said late Tuesday night in a telephone interview with The Sentinel. “I think it was my experience. It also seems to be a Democratic landslide tonight.”

The treasurer position pays $4,000 a year and carries the responsibilities of collecting and depositing funds, paying the bills, balancing the books and preparing annual financial reports for Cheshire County.

West said earlier that he was the right candidate for the job because of his ability to handle taxpayer money. He said he invested the $37 million bond on the new jail being built in Keene in an account that had earned $1.5 million in interest.

He also said he was able to earn more than $115,000 on interest for the county on tax anticipation notes he invested. These notes are short-term loans that are expected to be paid off through future tax collections. The loans go toward county projects, such as highway maintenance, or bills incurred throughout the year as part of regular government business.

Parker is a retired insurance salesman and Putnam retired last year from the county finance department as the accounts payable coordinator.


In other Cheshire County races, County Attorney Peter W. Heed, Sheriff Richard A. Foote and Evelyn S. Hubal, register of deeds, sailed through the election unchallenged.

The three Republican incumbents appeared on both sides of the ballot.

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