NEWS
2024 Primary – Auditor
All the primary candidates for Auditor are Republican. The incumbent, Democrat Beth Wood, announced that she was not seeking re-election. Jessica Holmes is the unopposed Democratic candidate. Bob Drach, the Libertarian candidate, is also unopposed in the primary. As such, only the Republican primary ballots will feature this race.
The following candidate information is from the North Carolina Board of Elections website.
Dave Boliek (R)
17 Treviso Place
Durham, NC 27707
(910) 850-3525
Website: https://auditordave.com
Jack Clark (R)
4705 Joseph Michael Court
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 631-8679
Website: https://www.jackclarknc.com
Q. Have you ever been to the Town of Davidson, or do you have a connection to our Town?
Unfortunately, I have not been, and I don’t believe I have a connection worth mentioning. I would love to visit!
Q. Why are you running for office?
I want to make North Carolina the best run state in the country.
I’m not running because I love campaigning or want a fancy title. I’m running because I’ve felt God calling me to serve the people of North Carolina in this manner, as I can make a more positive impact for people here than I felt I made in the private sector. My desire to serve led me to leave a safe career in accounting into the chaotic world of politics, and now into the even more chaotic world of campaigning.
Few auditors seek public office, being a more introverted profession. I wanted to give NC the opportunity to have a qualified Auditor who knows how to do the job from day one. I had to step up, and hope that my story inspires others to see the political world as something they, too, can join.
Q. What makes you the most qualified over your primary opponents?
I am the only candidate in any party with the following qualifications:
– Master’s degree in accounting (Audit Track)
– CPA license (Audit exam was highest score of 4 exams – 98)
– Experience in auditing in the private sector (as both external and internal auditor)
– 21st century audit experience (of any kind)
– 21st century major accounting firm experience (Grant Thornton)
To be State Auditor, the most important qualification is to understand auditing. I have education, training, and experience in the field. There are skills and mindsets necessary to proper auditing that someone cannot develop unless they have audited.
In addition, I have current NC budget experience as a Research Assistant to a budget chair. That means I know where the money is supposed to go, and I have the skills to audit where it does go.
Q. What is the number one thing that Davidson voters need to know about you?
I want to serve all North Carolinians. God has called me to serve, and this position would be the best use of my background and skills to serve.
Q. What will be your top priorities?
(1) I will take stock of what blind spots the administration of 15 years developed and audit places that have flown under the radar.
(2) I will modernize the audit department, including adding data analytics, to make our processes more efficient so that we can perform more audits and more effective audits.
(3) I will improve the pipeline of accountants coming into the workforce by encouraging HS and college students to pursue this profession.
More abstractly, I want to rebuild trust in politics and government. I will operate with the highest level of integrity to be an auditor everyone in the state can trust.
Charles Dingee (R)
5428 Hickory Lane
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 621-8545
Website: https://charlesdingee.com
Jim Kee (R)
4301 Lord Jeff Drive
Greensboro, NC 27405
(336) 509-2369
Website: https://www.jimkeenc.com
Anthony Wayne (Tony) Street (R)
1714 Stanbury Road SW
Supply, NC 28462
(910) 619-5947
Website:
Jeff Tarte (R)
17216 Belle Isle Drive
Cornelius, NC 28031
(704) 907-1421
Website: https://www.jefftarte.com
Q. Have you ever been to the Town of Davidson, or do you have a connection to our Town?
My wife Nancy and I are active members of Davidson United Methodist Church. Nancy is a pediatrician practicing for 32 years at Davidson Clinic. I taught one semester at Davidson College with Professor Dr. Chris Marsicano in his class on Education Policy. I have been a guest lecturer in political science classes and participated in a lecture series at the college. I am at church, Summit Coffee, Famous Toastery, The Egg, Flatiron, M&M Soda Shop or attending some event on campus virtually every week. The time-honored responsibility to faith, family, and community encapsulates the essence of my influence in Cornelius, Davidson, the Lake Norman region, and North Carolina.
Q. Why are you running for office?
I was asked to run for the State Auditor position by colleagues, my wife and the immediate former State Auditor. They asked me to run because they felt none of the other candidates are prepared with the necessary experience and knowledge to successfully lead the Office of State Auditor staff of 175+ professionals with a $16M annual operating budget.
Q. What makes you the most qualified over your primary opponents?
I am a three term State Senator, three term Mayor of Cornelius and former Partner at EY, which is the 3rd largest accounting firm in the world. I understand how government works. I have run a successful national business. I understand running a global accounting and management consulting practice that is multiple times larger than the Office of State Auditor (OSA). The work of the State Auditor is the same work I have done professionally for over 30 years for clients in all 50 states and 5 countries. The other candidates include a real estate broker, trial attorney and staff assistant for a NC House member. Unfortunately, I am the only candidate with pertinent and germane experience to do this job.
Q. What is the number one thing that Davidson voters need to know about you?
When I served in the Senate I was the only member to run legislation with every member from both parties. I believe good ideas are not partisan. Financials, waste and fraud are not partisan. I will lead and manage the OSA transparently, independently and professionally.
Q. What will be your top priorities?
Per statute, I will fulfill the obligations of confirming the accuracy of the $31B of state monies in the financial reports of the 40 state agencies/ departments, the 16 universities and 58 community colleges as well as the $24B in federal grant programs.
Day one I will begin to stand up a center focused on detecting and preventing fraud and waste through the use of advanced technologies. I will leverage AI, ML, and auditbots. I will introduce blockchain, sophisticated identity management and rules engine tools to assist in pattern recognition and identification of fraud. I will utilize the skills of AI engineers, forensic auditors and data analytic scientists.
The State Auditor has subpoena authority to require information to be provided to assist in the investigation and identification of waste and fraud. Currently the State Auditor has no authority to pursue waste and fraud. There is a massive quantity of fraud and waste in state government. I know where much of it is located. I will seek Demand letter authority to enable the State Auditor to immediately pursue and recover monies that were fraudulently gained and stop the flow of monies that are being wasted.