[F]ormer gubernatorial candidate Dan Feliciano is running for auditor of accounts, the Vermont Republican Party announced Tuesday.
He’ll be facing off against incumbent Doug Hoffer, a Democrat/Progressive.
Feliciano said he sees an opportunity for the state auditor’s office to play a different role and be involved “more proactively” in state government.
He pointed to “constant cost pressures around health care and technology” as two areas that need increased scrutiny and consideration.
“As we move into the future, these things are increasingly becoming problematic,” Feliciano said.
Feliciano, a business consultant, sought the state’s top office in 2014 as a Libertarian and attempted a write-in campaign for the Republican nomination. Early in 2015, he announced he was joining the Republican Party.
Feliciano said his background in business makes him well-equipped for the job.
David Sunderland, chair of the state Republican Party, hailed Feliciano’s entry into the race.
“I think Vermonters have come to realize that the Vermont Democrats’ single-party rule in Montpelier has not served them well,” Sunderland said.
Hoffer, who said Tuesday that he planned to file his candidacy paperwork by the end of the day, is in his second two-year term as auditor. He was elected with the endorsement of the Progressive Party.
He said he decided to run for re-election to continue the work his office has undertaken over the last three and a half years. “We’ve just got started,” Hoffer said.
“We have looked at a number of aspects of state government including the machinery, the nuts and bolts,” Hoffer said.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished, and looking forward to doing more,” Hoffer said.
Hoffer said the office has a key role to play in establishing support for and trust in state government.
“The way that you get broad public support is to demonstrate that you manage public money wisely,” Hoffer said.
He noted that during his tenure, the office has undertaken several audits of health care, including one right now. The office is also looking into technology systems, he said.
One of his key roles is selecting which topics to direct his 10-member auditing staff to investigate, he said. “There are endless topics for audits,” Hoffer said.
