Pat Anderson Announces Run for State Auditor

For those that haven’t heard, Pat Anderson recently announced her run for State Auditor, ending her campaign for governor. Here is an e-mail I received from her campaign regarding her decision.

“Putting all the Republican Party’s eggs, and Minnesota’s future prosperity, into the one basket of the governor’s race isn’t a particularly sound strategy,” Pat tells the media

At 10:00 today, January 12, I held a press conference announcing that I am ending my campaign for the Republican nomination for governor to enter the State Auditor’s race, the office I held from 2003 to 2007.

I do not make this decision lightly, but after much reflection, it is a decision I make without hesitation. The decision to run for public office is never strictly a personal one. A lot of you put your faith in me and my campaign. You put your trust and your money behind me, and I cannot lightly dismiss your loyalty in making my decision to run for State Auditor.

My decision to run for State Auditor is right for me, but ultimately it is also a good decision for my supporters, the Republican Party and most importantly for the people of Minnesota.

Here is some of what I said to the media at today’s press conference:

These are serious financial times for Minnesota. The outcome of the next election – at all levels of the ticket — will determine whether Minnesota remains a high-tax state or Minnesota restores the fundamental principles of constitutionally limited government. While I believe the conventional wisdom that only a fiscally conservative Republican governor can preserve some economic sanity in Minnesota, I also believe putting all the Republican Party’s eggs, and Minnesota’s future prosperity, into the one basket of the governor’s race isn’t a particularly sound strategy.

We are less than a month away from state caucuses, and even with seven of the original nine candidates still in the race for the Republican nomination, rumors are swirling that the field is not yet set. Since Gov. Pawlenty announced he was not seeking a third term, the focus of the Republican Party has been almost exclusively on the governor’s race. Nonetheless, a number of key players in the party have remained on the sidelines “waiting for Godot” to show up.  I have to say that has been frustrating.

Those two situations — the frustration and uncertainty surrounding the governor’s race and the singular focus of the Republican Party on the governor’s race — have been gnawing at me for the past two months.

The more I thought about the situation, the clearer it became that at this time of financial and political uncertainty, more so than ever, there is an opportunity to convert the State Auditor’s office from the passive organization it has become in the last three years to an active and dynamic agent of reform within state government.

Certainly the scope of influence of the State Auditor is less than the Governor, but the agenda my gubernatorial campaign focused on – financial reform, reforming the relationship of state and local government, limiting the scope of government – these are all issues where an active State Auditor can wield a lot of influence. From day one of this campaign, my objective has been to focus the scope of the debate. I have run a campaign of substance and principle based-reform, and garnered a lot of notable press coverage. Amusingly, I’ve confounded some of the liberal bloggers who don’t know how to deal with a pro-liberty conservative who argues from economic principle, not from ideology. I will carry those ideas into the Auditor’s race.

I do not share the opinion of the current occupant of the office that the State Auditor is “the Rodney Dangerfield of constitutional offices – one not always getting respect.” That is true only if the State Auditor acts like Rodney Dangerfield.

I understand the current resident of the Auditor’s office is touting bigger computer screens, telecommuting, better forms, technology updates and helping local government with energy costs as some accomplishments of her tenure.

During my term I sponsored major pension reform including the Minneapolis teacher’s merger, a cap on benefits for state funds, rewrite of the entire fire relief code. I passed legislation allowing the State Auditor more leeway to privatize audits. I moved several offices and downsized. We made huge news several times busting “bad guys” for swindling local governments. We did three best practices reviews (not one), started first ever school spending reports, did several special studies (including a groundbreaking study on LGA and a study of school superintendent pay). We busted the Minneapolis Police and Fire fund for misappropriation of public money to the tune of tens of millions – a lawsuit the City of Minneapolis is still dealing with.

No one was comparing the State Auditor’s office to Rodney Dangerfield when I was there. I’ll bring that level of respect back to the Auditor’s office and that level of commitment to protecting tax dollars back to the people of Minnesota.

An active State Auditor is what I was, and an active State Auditor is what I will be. I have a proven track record, attested to by the fact that in my reelection bid I was endorsed over the current auditor by virtually every newspaper in the state. Even those papers that regularly editorialized that my “essential services” policy was too stringent agreed that on my watch the State Auditor’s office was in effective and competent hands.

In today’s financial climate, every penny really does count, but I will be a State Auditor that does more than look for loose change under the couch. I will be an active State Auditor that uses the office to push for the necessary reforms Minnesota must make to be a competitive and prosperous state. Minnesotans expect no less from any elected official. And I expect no less from myself.

*****

Thank you for your continued support. Watch your email or visit our new website http://patandersonforauditor.com and sign up to follow my new Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Best –

Pat