State Senator John Loudon of Ballwin has kicked off his campaign for State Auditor. Loudon is a Republican. His announcement has come at a farm near strafford, the home town of Governor Matt Blunt, a fellow Republican. He says he’ll be more conciliatory toward the Blunt Adminsitration than incumbent Claire McCaskill has been. McCaskill has promised to announce her intentions by Labor Day. She’s weighing whether to run for another term as Auditor or challenge Jim Talent for his U.S. Senate seat.