Hennepin County beat: Elections director departs soon

At 36, Rachel Bohman has chosen an unusual time to walk away from her position as the top elections official in the state's biggest county.

She's leaving her Hennepin County post as of June 1 and she's cagey about her plans, despite persistent government center rumors about a possible run for office if Secretary of State Mark Ritchie decides against running in 2014.

Bohman commutes daily from her home in Rochester where she lives with her 5-year-old daughter and husband, who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic. She has a law degree and a hearty résumé. She's overseen election recounts in Hennepin and Anoka counties. She worked in the offices of DFL Secretary of State Joan Growe and GOP Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer. Bohman declined to comment on her partisan leanings.

Her departure from the county is viewed as a loss because she handled high-profile election matters with equanimity and expertise. "I love elections administration," she said. "I love working for the people of Hennepin County."

Bohman, however, won't touch the topic of her professional future. Asked directly if she rules out a statewide run, she said, "I'm not making any big decisions." When pressed, she wouldn't give a peek into her thinking. "Honestly, I don't even know; I'm not there yet," Bohman said.

She is happy to talk about how she's working to seal the deal for the next generation of elections computer, which will replace the current 14-year-old system. "I've got two weeks to finish this stuff up; that's a big job," she said. The new computer will make it easier to count absentee ballots and should help Minneapolis process ballots under its new vote-ranking system.

Beyond that, Bohman said, "I'm just going to spend some time with my family and enjoy this beautiful weather," she said. "I've got a beautiful 5-year-old and a big garden, so we'll see."

So what does Smith like to grow? "I always like to see what comes up naturally before I tackle anything," she said.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747 Twitter: @rochelleolson