Auditor's race wide-open

Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill's decision to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Talent in November has created a wide-open field in the race to succeed her as the state's fiscal watchdog.

On the Republican side, five candidates are vying for their party's nomination in the Aug. 8 primary election. Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed McCaskill. Charles W. Baum is running unopposed for the Libertarian Party's nomination.

Republican Jack Jackson, 62, of Wildwood, is a retired test pilot and current state representative from the 89th District. He was born in Sullivan, Ind., and graduated in 1966 from Purdue University. He later earned a master's degree in human resource management at Pepperdine University.

Jackson, who was elected to the Missouri House in 2002, said his leadership and management skills, coupled with his understanding of how state government operates, qualify him for the auditor's office.

"The state auditor is the ultimate umpire," Jackson said. "You have to call them as you see them, and you can't care who wins or loses as long as you call them right."

Mark Wright, 37, of Springfield, also is seeking the Republican nomination. Wright is a development director for a health-care company and represents the 137th District in the Missouri House.

He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield. Wright has served in the Missouri House since 1998.

Wright is one of several Republican House members who recently called for an overhaul of the way management positions are filled in state motor vehicle licensing offices. Wright said that stance, which was unpopular with many members of his own party, demonstrates that he is reform-minded.

He also pointed to his work as chairman of the House Administration and Accounts Committee as evidence that he would be an aggressive state auditor.

"I'm zealous when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars, and I have a proven record of doing that," Wright said.

Al Hanson, 76, was the Republican candidate for state auditor in 2002. He has lived in the Concordia area for 16 years and is the chief executive of the Lutheran Prison Ministry.

Hanson has a master's degree in restorative justice from Theraton University. He said the auditor's office has become a platform for those seeking higher office. In order to be effective, he said, the officeholder needs to be a full-time auditor and not a candidate for another office.

"We need to take politics out of the auditor's office," Hanson said.

Hanson said a conviction for business fraud in Minnesota that resulted in a nine-month prison sentence in 1977 should not be a factor in the race for his party's nomination.

"That event was more than 30 years ago," he said. "Many people have turned their lives around and actually benefited from their experiences."

Sandra Thomas, 40, is the only Republican candidate for the auditor's job who is a certified public accountant.

Thomas, the county auditor in Platte County, graduated from Smithville High School. She received an undergraduate degree from William Jewell College and a master's degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Thomas has served as Platte County auditor since 1994.

On her campaign Web site, Thomas says her background in accounting and her experience as a county auditor set her apart from her opponents.

"Talking to voters, I find that people are upset at politicians and their 'if-we-have-it-spend-it' attitude," she said. "As the Legislature sets unprecedented spending records, it is important Missourians have a strong professional auditor who will stand up to big spenders and trim the fat."

John Loudon, 38, of Chesterfield, is a marketing consultant and a Republican state senator, representing the 7th District. Loudon graduated from Westminster College with a degree in political science. He served in the Missouri House from 1994 to 2000, when he was elected to the state Senate. He was re-elected in 2004.

Loudon's campaign Web site says his work on the Senate Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee points to his ability to be a watchdog for taxpayers.

"Republicans need a strong, fiscally conservative, proven candidate who can prevent the auditor's office from remaining in the hands of a litigious attorney," Loudon says on the Web site.

Seeking the Democratic nomination for state auditor are Susan Montee and Darrell Wattenbarger.

Montee, 46, of St. Joseph, is the Buchanan County auditor. Montee has an accounting degree from Drury University in Springfield and is a certified public accountant. She also holds a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Montee served on the St. Joseph City Council from 1998 to 2000 and has been county auditor since 2000. She said the question of who should hold the state auditor's office boils down to qualifications.

"That's the approach I've taken from the beginning," Montee said. "Certainly, I think I have the best experience with my 20 years as a CPA and my experience as an attorney. And, as a county auditor, I would bring an auditor's perspective to the office."

Wattenbarger, of Columbia, is a certified public accountant. Efforts to contact him for additional information about his candidacy were unsuccessful.