New candidate wants nonpartisan auditor

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published May 17, 2008

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Constitution Party leader Glenn Freeman is running for state auditor, saying he would like to make the job nonpartisan.

Freeman, 39, is a Kent resident and 19-year employee of The Boeing Co. with a background in audits and managing auditors. He was careful not to criticize four-term incumbent Democrat Brian Sonntag, but he said it's time for new blood.

"He has been there a long time. He has been sitting kind of comfortable. It's time to recognize the state auditor should never be comfortable, nor should people be comfortable with him," Freeman said.

The challenger said he would seek to make the job nonpartisan and noted he has no other Constitution Party elected officials in the Legislature or executive branch with whom his audits would create conflicts.

"The main reason I'm running is I truly believe a state auditor has to be an independent voice. … I would truly be an independent voice," he said.

On one major issue, he and Sonntag agree: performance audits that the auditor's office began a few years ago as a result of a citizen initiative are a good idea.

Sonntag said his office has received national recognition for its work, and performance audits are a part of the record he intends to run on.

"I look forward to a healthy discussion of the issues," he said.

Freeman will run a low-budget campaign.

"It's sort of like David vs. Goliath, if you want to put it in Biblical terms." Freeman said.

Brad Shannon is political editor for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com.