JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A state House member from western Missouri plans to seek the Democratic nod for state auditor next year.
Rep. Jay Swearingen, a two-term House member from Kansas City, said he has "jumped in with both feet" and plans an official campaign announcement for October. Swearingen said he decided to enter the race just before last week's veto override session.
"I think what makes a great auditor is not the ability to sit down with a green visor and go through numbers ... but just the tenacity to go turn over stones and get people to answer questions they don't want to answer. I think I've got that ability," he said.
Republican Auditor Tom Schweich is completing his first term. He said Tuesday: "I look forward to a spirited debate."
No other Democrat publicly has indicated interest in running for auditor next year. The auditor's office will be the only statewide position on Missouri's November 2014 ballot. Filing officially begins in February.
Schweich became auditor after defeating a Democratic incumbent in 2010. He previously served as the chief of staff to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and worked for the State Department in several countries, including Afghanistan.
Swearingen first was elected to the Legislature in 2010 and is serving on committees dealing with tax policy, professional registration, financial institutions and economic development. He works for the Missouri Credit Union Association and is the vice president of grassroots and development.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission show that Schweich had about $294,000 on hand at the end of June. Swearingen had more than $11,000.
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Online:
Swearingen: https://www.facebook.com/Swearingen4Auditor
Schweich: http://www.tomschweich.com