Jefferson City, Mo. — The race for state auditor is heating up as the Aug. 2 primary election sits just two weeks away.
Republican candidate for State Auditor David Gregory released an ad last week in which he claims he is the “only actual auditor” running in the election.
Gregory has served in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2016, representing House District (HD) 96. He also works at the law firm that he founded in Clayton, Mo.
He is best known for his auditing of the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR), which garnered him serious support from other House members. His audit of the DOR is the central point of his new press release.
Representatives Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe), Allen Andrews (R-Grant City), Mike Haffner (R-Pleasant Hill) and Lane Roberts (R-Joplin) are all quoted displaying their gratitude for Gregory’s audit, per his press release about the ad.
The former Director of the Department of Revenue, Ken Zellers, is also quoted complimenting Gregory on his audit.
Gregory’s audit found almost 36 million dollars in cost-saving options for Missouri taxpayers.
His opponent in the Republican primary is Scott Fitzpatrick, the current State Treasurer who was elected in 2019. Like Gregory, Fitzpatrick also served in the Missouri House of Representatives, representing HD 158 for six years between 2013 and 2019.
“He should take the ad down and stop lying to Missouri voters,” Fitzpatrick told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last week in an interview about Gregory’s ad.
In the same interview, Fitzpatrick talked about his own achievements during his time as the Budget Chairman and the State Treasurer, claiming that he has saved millions for Missouri taxpayers as well.
Fitzpatrick has also received a few key endorsements, including one from both Gov. Mike Parson and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe.
Both men are vying for the Republican spot in the election to replace Nicole Galloway, Missouri’s only statewide elected Democrat. Galloway declined to run for a second term this fall.
Whoever wins the primary on Aug. 2 will go on to face the only Democrat in the race, former Rep. Alan Green, who represented HD 67 for seven years.
Featured Image: Rep. David Gregory (left) announced his run for state auditor on Aug. 4 and was immediately backed by the Missouri FOP. (THE MISSOURI TIMES/KAITLYN SCHALLHORN)
Kelton is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He is a native of mid-Missouri and likes to write politics at both the state and federal levels. Kelton joined the Missouri Times in April 2022
