From the office of Governor Jay Nixon:

Nicole Galloway will be new State Auditor, Gov. Nixon announces

April 14, 2015

Jefferson City, MO

Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that Boone County Treasurer Nicole R. Galloway will be the new Missouri State Auditor. She will take over the position from State Auditor John Watson, who was appointed by the Governor to serve in the position on an interim basis following the death of the previous Auditor, Thomas Schweich.

Galloway, a certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner, has served as the Boone County Treasurer since April 2011. She is a Democrat.

“The office of the State Auditor is responsible for safeguarding taxpayer dollars; rooting out waste, fraud and abuse; and ensuring that state government programs operate with the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability Missourians expect and deserve,” Gov. Nixon said. “As a CPA and certified fraud examiner, Nicole Galloway is uniquely qualified to step into this important role.”

“Every Missourian should know that this office will continue to hold itself – and others – to the highest standards of excellence and accountability,” Galloway said. “The people of Missouri have my commitment that I will be an independent watchdog that reviews all levels of government with even-handedness and integrity. The office will be committed to protecting taxpayers and ensuring that government is held accountable for the resources it uses and to the citizens it serves.”

As Boone County Treasurer, Galloway has managed the county’s investment portfolio and annual revenue and made Boone County adopt a debt management policy, which made it a model for counties around the state.

Galloway also has served as secretary/treasurer of the County Employment Retirement Fund, which is responsible for managing the pensions of 16,000 participants around the state, and as a board member of the Missouri County Treasurers’ Association. As the secretary/treasurer of the Missouri Technology Corporation, she has helped cultivate high-tech startups and entrepreneurs.

Galloway, age 32, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Crosby MBA Program at the University of Missouri, and obtained her undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and economics from the Missouri University of Science & Technology. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Before becoming County Treasurer, Galloway was a corporate auditor for Shelter Insurance Companies and an auditor for Brown Smith Wallace LLC in Creve Coeur, where she was responsible for auditing Fortune 500 corporations and insurance companies. She also served as an actuarial analyst from Allstate Insurance Company.

A native of Fenton, Galloway lives in Columbia with her husband, Jon, and their two sons, William and Benjamin.

“Tom Schweich’s death was a terrible loss for our state and a deeply personal tragedy for his family and loved ones,” Gov. Nixon said. “I know that Nicole Galloway will provide the judgment, integrity and experience that this statewide office requires, and which were provided by Auditor Watson during a difficult time. I also greatly appreciate John providing a steady hand to oversee the Auditor’s Office so it could continue to serve the people of this state.”

Galloway will be sworn in to office during the week of April 27, following the resignation of Watson. She will fill the remainder of the term for State Auditor, which will expire in January 2019.

A statement from State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D):

[….]

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel releases statement regarding Nicole Galloway’s appointment as State Auditor

JEFFERSON CITY – Treasurer Zweifel today released the following statement upon the appointment of Nicole Galloway as the new Missouri State Auditor.

“Nicole has proven to be a committed public servant as Boone County Treasurer, fighting for government transparency and accountability to taxpayers, and will bring that experience to Jefferson City. The Auditor serves a vital role as watchdog for Missouri taxpayers, and as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, I know Nicole is up to the challenge. She will conduct the office with discipline and integrity, and I look forward to working with her.”

###

State Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19) wants to be Missouri’s next Attorney General. He wants it a lot since he announced his plans to run in 2016 over a year ago. Consequently he’s been very busy  getting his name out before the public. But not just any public. His constituency of choice seems to be the reddest dregs of this increasingly red state. It’s  hard to think of just about any rightwing bandwagon he hasn’t tried to ride since declaring his candidacy, no matter how rickety:

Tax Cuts for Rich Folks: Evidence suggests that Schaefer supports the Kansas tax “experiment” and would be willing to beggar Missouri’s middle and working class in order to give big tax cuts to rich folks and their businesses. When state GOPers recently fêted Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Schaefer, who is currently the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, opined that the governor had “some really compelling numbers.” This is in spite of what Politico has dubbed the “Brownback effect,” observing that “Republicans once idolized Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as a tax cutting superstar – now he’s a lesson in what not to do.” Evidently Schaeffer didn’t get the message. Or else he actually takes seriously dishonest statistics of the sort that billionaire Rex Sinquefield published in Forbes Magazine in order to make the Kansas experiment look like it is succeeding, or at least not as disastrous as it is proving to be.

Social Spending Cuts: Schaeffer, like so many GOPers before him, seems to think it’s okay to fund tax cuts – favored by rich political donors like Rex Sinquefield – by cutting the ground out from under those who lack the wherewithal and the influence to fund his climb to the top of the Missouri political heap. He’s proposed cutting $130 million from the already meager amount allocated by the House to social services, health and mental health services. He says that the agencies are wasteful and that cuts are necessary to slow their growth.

It is true that Missouri’s social services are currently not functioning too well. Ill-considered cuts and the resulting “reforms” over the past few years have taken a steep toll, a situation that many take as evidence that they need more rather than less money. According to figures supplied by state budget officials, Schaefer’s claims of waste perhaps reflect his ideological biases rather than a close analysis of the real-life situation. As for out-of-control growth? Wouldn’t you expect that as Missouri continues its GOP-led transformation into a poverty stricken backwater, one might expect demand for services to increase – a demand, that folks like Schaefer are determined not to meet.

Guns “R”Us: Schaefer was one of the motivating forces behind Missouri’s Amendment 5, a constitutional amendment voted in by the gun-mad hordes who dominate mid-term elections in Missouri. This amendment, under the rubric of an “inalienable” right to own guns, was so badly written that it has made it impossible to bar convicted felons from gun ownership. As the St Louis Post-Dispatch described it, Schaefer’s decision “to start acting like a pandering fool” has had a scary, but entirely predictable – and predicted – result:

… .In a state in which there are more gun deaths than traffic deaths, in which toddlers are grabbing mommy and daddy’s guns and firing away, in which cities are being told by a Legislature there is nothing they can do about gun violence, now convicted felons can own guns and there is nothing the police can do about it.

Again, let me reiterate. This guy’s a lawyer – and he even wants to be the state’s main lawyer. If his legal acumen was insufficient to locate the problems in what was essentially his baby, a lot of other folks pointed them out before it was too late to fix them. Now Schaefer’s twisting and turning, trying to find a way to prove that “Amendment 5 doesn’t mean what it says.” Sadly, the courts don’t agree.

So stop and think. Either Schaefer is, as the Post-Dispatch implies, a spineless panderer, or he’s out-and-out stupid. He’s either taken in by or cynically peddling obviously failing, ideologically driven voodoo economic theories, GOP welfare queen vilification, and the Guns equal God ideology of hardcore gun crazies. Either way what rational, unbiased person could trust him to act in the best interests of the people of Missouri – either in the State Senate where he now works his backwards magic, or as Attorney General? Is the distinction even meaningful? If the sum of a politician’s major legislative efforts are stupid and harmful then it’s doesn’t make much difference if the motivation is incompetence or venality. For all practical purposes that individual is a fool.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C151053 04/13/2015 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI USA FIRST PAC 8705 B Colesville Road STE 149 Silver Springs MD 20910 4/13/2015 $5,001.00

C151053 04/13/2015 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI Sol and Meryl Barer 2 Barer Lane Mendham NJ 07945 Retired Retired 4/13/2015 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Eric Greitens’ (r) 2016 gubernatorial bid is still an “exploratory” one, though as of April 7th [pdf] it’s now specifically for the office of Governor.

That USA First PAC? That’s a Ben Carson founded enterprise. This Ben Carson (r):

Future President Ben Carson Wrote 6 Books. We Read Them So You Don’t Have To.

[….]

By Tim Murphy

Tue Jan. 27, 2015 7:30 AM EST

[….]

….Carson has made little effort to sugar-coat his most polarizing views….

[….]

Previously:

Campaign Finance: all in today (April 9, 2015)

President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One under a rainbow at Norman Manley International Airport prior to departure from Kingston, Jamaica en route to Panama City, Panama, April 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Pat Contreras (D) is running for State Treasurer.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C151083 04/13/2015 CONTRERAS FOR TREASURER Michael Haverty 6410 Wenonga Road Mission Hills KS 66208 Retired Retired 4/11/2015 $5,001.00

[emphasis added]

It’s a brand new committee:

C151083: Contreras For Treasurer

Po Box 22546 Committee Type: Candidate

Kansas City Mo 64113 Party Affiliation: Democrat

[….]

Established Date: 04/10/2015

  Termination Date:

Candidate

Pat Contreras

[….]

Election History

Election Year Primary Outcome General Outcome Political Office

2016 State Treasurer

[emphasis added]

The campaign press release:

[….]

Pat Contreras, State Department Official to Run for Missouri Treasurer

Kansas City native has served in Obama and Bush Administrations

KANSAS CITY – Pat Contreras, a Kansas City native who has served both in the Obama and Bush administrations as a U.S. State Department diplomat, today filed paperwork to run for Missouri Treasurer as a Democrat in the 2016 election.  Pat will be rolling out his campaign over the coming weeks with a formal announcement planned for this summer.

“I’m running for Treasurer with a great sense of optimism and a great deal of humility,” Contreras said.  “Missouri is a great place to live and raise a family, but there is so much more we can do – and the Treasurer’s office can do – to help middle class families achieve the American Dream.  If I’m given the chance to serve, my goal will bring practical, 21st century solutions to the critical problems our state faces.”

A graduate of Saint Louis University and Columbia University in New York, Pat began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City where he helped guide community banking strategies and is currently serving on Jackson County’s Veterans Task Force, helping veterans get jobs and receive services.

Pat has served his country in both the Obama and Bush administrations as a diplomat at the U.S. Department of State. His overseas deployments included Pakistan and Mexico where he helped strengthen national security and foreign policy objectives.  He also led public diplomacy initiatives in Europe and promoted business investment in America. He is a Partner with the Truman National Security Project.

Save it. There can always be another campaign.

These were distributed in Iowa in September 2007.

There are millions of supporters who are already armed for bear.

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)

Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry: “I’m back!” (September 15, 2014)

“I’m Back” Hillary Clinton at Harkin Steak Fry (September 16, 2014)

Super Twitter (February 2, 2015)

The campaign begins (April 10, 2015)

Hillary breaks the Internet (April 12. 2015)

Former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton (D) announced today that she is a candidate for President in 2016.

Hillary Clinton speaking at the last Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa [September 2014 file photo].

The announcement video, linked this afternoon via social media:

The transcript:

Various individuals: I’m getting ready for a lot of things. A lot of things.

It’s Spring, so we’re starting to get the gardens ready and my tomatoes are legendary here in my own neighborhood.

My daughter is about to start kindergarten next year and so we’re moving just so she can belong to a better school.

[in Spanish] My brother and I are starting our first business.

After five years of raising my children I am now going back to work.

Every day we’re trying to get more and more ready and more prepared. Big boy coming your way.

Right now I’m applying for jobs. It’s a look into what the real world will look like after college.

I’m getting married this Summer to someone I really care about.

I’m gonna be in a play and I’m gonna be in a fish costume. We’re little tiny fishes…

I’m getting ready to retire soon. Retirement means reinventing yourself in many ways.    

Well, we’ve been doing a lot of home renovations. But most importantly we really just want to teach our dog to quit eating the trash. And so we hve high hopes for twenty-fifteen that that’s gonna happen.

I’ve started a new career recently. This is a fifth generation company which means a, a lot to me. This country was founded on hard work and it really feels good to be a part of that.  

Hillary Clinton: I’m getting ready to do something, too. I’m running for President.

Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top.

Every day Americans need a champion and I want to be that champion. So you can do more than just get by, you can get ahead and stay ahead. Because when families are strong America is strong.

So, I’m hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

[Hillary for America

hillaryclinton.com

Paid for by Hillary for America]

Hillary Clinton’s Twitter page before (left) and  after (right) today’s announcement.

That’s a lot of Twitter followers.

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)

Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry: “I’m back!” (September 15, 2014)

“I’m Back” Hillary Clinton at Harkin Steak Fry (September 16, 2014)

Super Twitter (February 2, 2015)

The campaign begins (April 10, 2015)

Or not.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C151077 04/11/2015 MISSOURIANS FOR JOHN BRUNNER Jeffrey Fox 7701 Forsyth Blvd Suite 600 St Louis MO 63105 Harbour Group CEO 4/10/2015 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Pass the popcorn.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: all in today (April 9, 2015)

Campaign Finance: passing the torch… (April 10, 2015)

Hillary Clinton to announce 2016 bid Sunday with video

By Brianna Keilar and Jeff Zeleny, CNN

Updated 5:38 PM ET, Fri April 10, 2015

(CNN) Hillary Clinton is planning to launch her presidential candidacy on Sunday through a video message on social media, a person close to her campaign-in-waiting tells CNN, followed immediately by traveling to early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire to start making her case to voters….

Hillary Clinton [September 2014 file photo].

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)

Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry: “I’m back!” (September 15, 2014)

“I’m Back” Hillary Clinton at Harkin Steak Fry (September 16, 2014)

Super Twitter (February 2, 2015)  

…or a match, depending on how you look at it.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C151077 04/10/2015 MISSOURIANS FOR JOHN BRUNNER David Spence 2021 S Warson Rd Saint Louis MO 63124 Legacy Chairman 4/9/2015 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Previously:

Campaign Finance: maybe it’s an investment strategery (November 2, 2012)

Campaign Finance: all in today (April 9, 2015)