The race for the state auditor's office is set between Democrat Sheri Donahue and incumbent Republican Mike Harmon, who ran unopposed.
Sheri Donahue is a Louisville-area native who campaigned on a promise of restoring faith in government. She is an industrial engineer and cyber security expert who previously worked with the U.S. Navy and Humana. Last year she ran, unsuccessfully, for state Senate.
Her opponent Harmon is in his first term, and won in 2015 along with many other Republican candidates. He is from Danville, and worked as an insurance agent.
Donahue defeated Kelsey Hayes Coots, a teacher for Jefferson County Public Schools, and Chris Tobe, who worked for former state auditor Ed Hatchett, to win her party's nomination.
Kentucky’s auditor of public accounts is responsible for overseeing the budgets of state agencies, and ensuring the responsible expenditure of public dollars. The auditor oversees everything from pensions to school district budgets.
In a recent op-ed, Donahue committed to rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” in state agencies. And she specifically pledged to audit Kentucky’s electronic voting machines to make sure all votes are counted and that there is no external interference in elections.
