The race is nearly a year away, but a Cooperstown Democrat has announced his candidacy for Otsego County Clerk. MacGuire Benton, a Cooperstown village trustee and former deputy elections commissioner, made the announcement in a media release Monday. Benton says his background “is in local government, business development and customer service. The clerk’s office is currently occupied by Kathy Sinnott Gardner, a Republican who has not announced her plans for next year’s election. The office of county clerk will appear on the November 2023 general election ballot.