Four years ago, Lawrence Countians had a first-in-recent-memory experience when they went to the polls and selected a new coroner following the retirement of Dr. A. Burton Payne, who had held that job for decades.

Four years later, Republican voters will have another first-in-recent memory experience when they go to the polls Tuesday. They will have the choice of not one but three candidates, Dr. Rodolfo Canos, Dr. Kurt Hofmann and Dr. Kimberly Lauder.

 

Rodolfo Canos

Canos, 70 and an Ironton resident, was deputy coroner 10 years and has practiced medicine 35 years. Canos said he decided to run for coroner after he retired from practicing surgery. Canos said when he became more involved in politics, friends asked him to run for coroner.

“I practice medicine with compassion,” he said. “When you are coroner you are dealing with a dead body but that dead person has a grieving family who wants an answer.”

Canos promised to be an active, visible coroner who goes to the scene of the death instead of sending an assistant.

“That would be my promise,” he said. “I will be visible as a coroner. The job of a coroner is to find out if the person died a natural death or was murdered and I think I could do a better job.”

Canos also said he wanted to improve communication between his office and law enforcement.

Canos and his wife, Portia, who is also a doctor, have three children.

“She is my strength,” Canos said of his wife. “They say behind every man there is a good woman and I believe I am successful because of her.”

 

Kurt Hofmann

Hofmann, 60, of Kitts Hill, is seeking his second term as coroner. He described the job as interesting. He said his experience — three and a half years as coroner and four years before that as assistant corner — make him the most qualified candidate.

“I think I’ve done an excellent job and I’m proud of my performance and I think my party should support me Tuesday.”

Hofmann said he is proud that his two investigators, Drew Artis and Bill Nenni, have completed specialized training at the University of St. Louis.

He is also proud of staying within what some officeholders may think is an impossible budget: $120,000 annually.

How do they do it?

“We use our own cell phones. We use our own laptops. We buy our own supplies,” Hofmann said. “You see that I use my private office (to conduct coroner’s business).”

Hofmann said it would be nice to have an actual corner’s office with a morgue. But he concedes in these troubled economic times that might be more than a challenge.

Hofmann and his wife Christina have two children and three grandchildren. He calls his wife his best asset.

“She’s worked hard on this campaign and deserves to be thanked publicly,” he said.

 

Kimberly Lauder

Lauder, 44, of Rome Township, is an emergency room physician at Obleniss Memorial Hospital in Athens and is also the medical director for the Lawrence County Emergency Medical Services.

Lauder said, through her work with EMS, she was approached by people who asked her to run for coroner.

Lauder said she believes she is the best candidate because, “I’m very responsive to the needs of the community. The coroner needs to be able to respond quickly and get the situation taken care of quickly.” She also said her experience in emergencies as an emergency room physician is another strength.

If elected, Lauder would like to help expedite cases for the comfort and benefit of grieving families and would also work closely with county emergency services and funeral homes.

Lauder is married. She and her husband, Tim, have three children.