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By Victoria Hansen
hansenv@findlay.edu
After three terms, Keith Faber (R) has reached the term limit for Auditor of State, putting the position back on the ballot.
The Auditor of State directs the Auditor of State’s office and holds one of seven seats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which draws congressional maps for Ohio. The Auditor of State’s office employs more than 800 auditors who review state financial records, investigate fraud, and assist local governments in case of emergencies.
The Democratic nominee for Auditor of State is Annette Blackwell, mayor of Maple Heights since 2016. At the time of her election, Maple Heights was in a state of fiscal emergency after defaulting on three debt payments and having deficits on two funds. This emergency status ended in 2020. Before becoming mayor, Blackwell served as a property tax specialist at Deloitte and in roles at University Hospitals and KeyBank.
Blackwell’s listed priorities on her campaign website are addressing corruption, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, opposition to “the endless raid of local government funds by Statehouse politicians,” and creating fair congressional district maps.
The Republican nominee for the position is current Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Before becoming Ohio Secretary of State, LaRose represented parts of Summit and Stark counties in the Ohio Senate from 2011-2018. LaRose presents himself on his campaign website as a lifelong public servant and conservative, highlighting his military history, Ohio Senate history, and endorsement for Secretary of State by Donald Trump.
LaRose does not have any auditing experience, but he cites his role in the creation of the Public Integrity Division in 2022, which investigates election interference, obstruction, and intimidation, as sufficient qualification for the job.
“You don’t necessarily need to be a pilot to be the CEO of an airline,” LaRose said in an interview with NBC 4 News. “At the auditor’s office, there are over 600 professional auditors, CPAs, and others who will go out and do that work. My job is to set high standards for that organization, to hold them accountable, to give them the support that they need to do that job well.”
