Missouri state auditor election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The Missouri state auditor election, 2010 took place on November 2, 2010. Republican
Ambassador
Tom Schweich
defeated incumbent Democratic
State Auditor
Susan Montee
. This is only the third time in the last four decades that a sitting auditor in Missouri has been unseated. Schweich's victory made Schweich one of only two Republicans elected to Missouri's executive branch.
Allen Icet
announced his candidacy in June, 2009. Ambassador Tom Schweich joined the race in July, 2009, after having considered running for US Senator. The primary was a close race. Icet had experience as the chairman of the state house budget committee and he was supported by 95 state legislators. Schweich had experience managing audits and was supported by Lieutenant Governor of Missouri Peter Kinder
, former United States Attorney General
John Ashcroft
, former Governor of Massachusetts
Mitt Romney
, four Missouri state senators, and two former United States ambassadors.
Schweich criticized Icet for taking trips and meals from lobbyist and for the fact that the state budget rose from $19 billion to $23 billion while Icet was chairman of the house budget committee. Icet defended himself by saying that the trip he accepted was for educational purposes and by saying that most of the budget increases were due to increased federal spending and mandatory increases of things such as medicare.
In spite of Icet's support from most of the state legislators, Schweich was able to gain a fundraising advantage and bigger name endorsments.
. Schweich defended himself by pointing to his experience managing audits. During the debate Schweich argured that the State Auditor ought to be more of a law enforcement official; he pointed to the fact that he has law enforcement experience, while Montee did not. Montee argued that the State Auditor should be a fiscal expert; she again pointed to the fact that she is a CPA, while Schweich is not.
In the end Schweich defeated Montee with 50.8% of the vote. Schweich obtained strong leads in the rural parts of the state which was sufficient to overcome Montee's leads in St. Louis
and Jackson County
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Tom Schweich
Tom Schweich
Thomas A. "Tom" Schweich is an American politician and lawyer who has served as Coordinator for Counternarcotics and Justice Reform in Afghanistan. While in that position, he was given the rank of Ambassador by U.S. President George W. Bush. In the 2010 election in Missouri, Schweich won the race...
defeated incumbent Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
State Auditor
State Auditors of Missouri
The State Auditor of Missouri is an elected official responsible for serving as the State of Missouri's chief fiscal regulator, conducting financial and performance audits for approximately 200 state agencies, boards, and commissions, and the state's judicial branch...
Susan Montee
Susan Montee
Susan Montee is an American politician from the U.S. state of Missouri who served as the State Auditor of Missouri. She won the election in November 2006 and was sworn into her position on January 4, 2007. She is the third woman in succession to serve as State Auditor of Missouri. She succeeded...
. This is only the third time in the last four decades that a sitting auditor in Missouri has been unseated. Schweich's victory made Schweich one of only two Republicans elected to Missouri's executive branch.
Campaign
Incumbent Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee had token opposition. She easily defeated her lesser known opponent in the Democratic primary.Results
Campaign
Missouri State RepresentativeMissouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
Allen Icet
Allen Icet
Allen Icet is a Republican that represents Missouri's 84th district, a portion of Saint Louis County, in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in November 2002. Icet has served as Missouri House budget chair since 2005.-Education:Icet received a Bachelor’s of Science...
announced his candidacy in June, 2009. Ambassador Tom Schweich joined the race in July, 2009, after having considered running for US Senator. The primary was a close race. Icet had experience as the chairman of the state house budget committee and he was supported by 95 state legislators. Schweich had experience managing audits and was supported by Lieutenant Governor of Missouri Peter Kinder
Peter Kinder
Peter D. Kinder is an American politician from the U.S. state of Missouri. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2004 as Matt Blunt was elected Governor. Kinder was reelected in 2008 at the same time Jay Nixon was elected Governor. Kinder is a member of the Republican Party...
, former United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
, former Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, four Missouri state senators, and two former United States ambassadors.
Schweich criticized Icet for taking trips and meals from lobbyist and for the fact that the state budget rose from $19 billion to $23 billion while Icet was chairman of the house budget committee. Icet defended himself by saying that the trip he accepted was for educational purposes and by saying that most of the budget increases were due to increased federal spending and mandatory increases of things such as medicare.
In spite of Icet's support from most of the state legislators, Schweich was able to gain a fundraising advantage and bigger name endorsments.
Results
Results
Campaign
During the campaign Montee attacked Schweich for not being a CPACertified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
. Schweich defended himself by pointing to his experience managing audits. During the debate Schweich argured that the State Auditor ought to be more of a law enforcement official; he pointed to the fact that he has law enforcement experience, while Montee did not. Montee argued that the State Auditor should be a fiscal expert; she again pointed to the fact that she is a CPA, while Schweich is not.
In the end Schweich defeated Montee with 50.8% of the vote. Schweich obtained strong leads in the rural parts of the state which was sufficient to overcome Montee's leads in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
.
Results
See also
- United States Senate election in Missouri, 2010United States Senate election in Missouri, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Missouri occurred on November 2, 2010 alongside 36 other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held on August 3,...
- Missouri Senate elections, 2010Missouri Senate elections, 2010The 2010 Missouri Senate elections were held on November 2, 2010. Voters in the 12 even-numbered districts of the Missouri Senate voted for their representatives. Other elections were also held on November 2...
External links
- Elections from the Missouri Secretary of State