Attorney, Air Force vet Sandra McDowell wins Republican primary for Missouri auditor

Sandra McDowell emerged victorious Tuesday night in the four-way Republican primary for Missouri auditor, setting up a showdown with incumbent Democrat Nicole Galloway this November.

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, McDowell had 33 percent of the vote, compared to 26 percent for David Wasinger, 24 percent for Kevin Roach and 16 percent for Paul Curtman.

McDowell, an attorney from Jefferson City, served eight years in the Air Force before working as an assistant attorney general under former Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster. More recently, she worked in the securities division for Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, leading the office’s efforts to investigate securities fraud.

Galloway was unopposed in the Democratic primary and is currently the only Democrat who holds a statewide office in Missouri.

She was elected as Boone County treasurer in 2011 and served until 2014, when she was appointed auditor by former Gov. Jay Nixon following the death of Tom Schweich. She is a certified public accountant who previously worked as a corporate auditor at Shelter Insurance in Columbia.

Galloway enters the fall campaign with a huge cash advantage, with nearly $1.1 million in her war chest compared to just $3,100 for McDowell.

This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 10:43 PM.