SAN LUIS — Gary Gurule is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and write-in candidate for Costilla County treasurer.

“People keep telling me I’m brave to do this,” says Gurule, “but it’s time for me to do something for my county.”

A CPA since 1986, Gurule had worked in Albuquerque, N.M. since 1992 when he decided that he and his son would return to San Luis.

He is a 1978 graduate from Adams State, with a major in business administration and minor in accounting and learned early on he would need to leave the Valley to find work. His career began with a CPA firm in Denver and then he moved to New Mexico. “I have been with CPA firms most of my life,” says Gurule.

After operating his own firm in San Luis, he took a job in Conejos County in 2014 and commutes daily.

A Democrat, he decided to run for county treasurer after “people came and asked me to run.” At the county assembly, Gurule got 14 of the 16 delegate votes needed to get on the June 26 ballot, but he didn’t give up.

“I’m still running,” he says, noting that he is not taking campaign contributions from anyone. “I’m not playing favorites, I’m paying my own costs — I’m not a politician, I’m an accountant.”

His goals for the office are few, but he wants to update the office, use “best practices” and bring it into the 21st Century. Including a person from Fort Garland on his staff, as well as one from Blanca are definite plans, since taxpayers enjoy doing business with familiar faces.

“Good customer service is needed in government,” he maintains. The treasurer’s office is currently open four days a week and he sees this as an inconvenience for working people who may not be able to take a day off in the middle of a week to do essential business.

He is mailing out brochures showing residents how to cast write-in votes and is proud of his work ethic and honesty, so he will be running until the primaries.

Email him at [email protected] for more information.