David Vaudt (R)

Vaudt is the incumbent candidate for Iowa state auditor and an Upper Iowa University graduate. He has been state auditor since 2003.

Afterward Vaudt began his career at the audit practice KPMG and worked there for 25 years.

He has been chairman and member of many different organizations, including the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, Iowa Accountancy Examining Board and the Better Business Bureau Board of Directors.

On Vaudt’s campaign website he lists, “Three keys to sound state budgeting practices:”

1. Rule No. 1: Don’t spend more than you take in.

2. Transparency: A transparent state budgeting process means citizens can participate in the process.

3. Long-range planning: A five-year plan allows Iowa to impact the future rather than simply react to it.

Jon Murphy (D)

Murphy has work experience in the Iowa Legislature, U.S. Congress, higher education and organizational politics, according to his campaign website.

He worked under Congressman Leonard Boswell in Washington, D.C. in 1999 as a legislative assistant.

He was director of the Iowa Office for State-Federal Relations in 2007, meaning he was the “state’s point person on federal policy,” according to his website.

Murphy lists five major issues from his platform on his website:

1. Protecting your money

2. Auditing every department of state government, every year

3. Putting people ahead of partisanship

4. Providing leadership and vision

5. Making the state auditor’s office accessible

Murphy was born in Des Moines and graduated from Iowa State in 1994.

Information courtesy of Vaudt and Murphy’s campaign websites.