Candidates running for Missouri auditor participated Friday in a debate-style forum hosted by the Missouri Press Association. The event was held in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights. It featured Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Republican Saundra McDowell, Constitution Party candidate Jacob Luetkemeyer, Libertarian Sean O’Toole and Green Party candidate Don Fitz.
Top state auditor’s candidates squabble during eastern Missouri forum
Galloway wasted no time going after McDowell’s financial problems.
“She’s so financially compromised, she might be willing to accept dark money in exchange for looking the other way in audits. She’s not qualified to be state auditor, and I would be hesitant to hire her as an entry-level auditor in my office given her issues,” said Galloway.
McDowell fired right back at Galloway.
“She claims to be a watchdog over our state, but there’s been fraud going on in several counties where she was supposed to be doing an audit there,” said McDowell. “It went four to five years without an audit and then fraud occurred. If she’s not a watchdog then she’s just a dog, and I will be a bulldog for this state.”
McDowell focused on her military background and her time as an investigator in the Missouri attorney general’s office.
Galloway was appointed to her position in 2015 by former Governor Jay Nixon, a fellow Democrat. She previously served as the Boone County Treasurer.
Missouri’s general election is on November 6.
By Missourinet contributor Todd Sauter