Missouri auditor candidate Quentin Wilson said that having a Democrat running the office would make the GOP-controlled state government more accountable.
"I think it's really important in a democracy for an independent review of everything the state government does, and that's what an auditor can be," Wilson said on the "Politically Speaking" podcast. "A single party cannot police itself."
Wilson is running against Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, who is seeking a second four-year term. Fitzpatrick has been invited to record an episode of "Politically Speaking."
Here's what else Wilson talked about on the program:
- He would like to be a partner, and not an adversary, in helping Missouri legislators deal with an impending budgetary gap. "You don't aim for low-hanging fruit. It's not time for that," Wilson said. "We've got to be tougher, stronger, more collaborative. We got to get this thing done. This is not a partisan battle. We're in real trouble."
- Unlike Fitzpatrick, Wilson said he strongly opposed Amendment 5, which would have allowed the legislature to raise sales and use taxes as a means to get rid of the state income tax.
- He is opposed to Amendment 7, which would set up a sovereign wealth fund that could eventually be used to reduce the tax burden of Missourians. Wilson said Missouri doesn't have natural resources like oil that could make a sovereign wealth fund practical.
Wilson has worked for several Democratic members of Congress, as well as Democratic Govs. Mel Carnahan and Bob Holden. His last governmental appointment was as director of the St. Louis County Department of Revenue, a job he held from 2019 through 2020.
The auditor's race is the only statewide contest on the ballot this year. Republicans haven't lost a statewide race since 2018, when Auditor Nicole Galloway narrowly won reelection over Republican Saundra McDowell.
