Loudon's Last

He withdrew and then re-filed to be at the bottom of the ballot for auditor.

Col Jackson's statement: "We thought the days of political grandstanding associated with the State Auditor's Office would end the day Claire McCaskill left the Capitol, but as the deadline to file for the office came Tuesday we saw the backdoor shenanigans raised to new heights. In John Loudon's desperate attempt to have his name last on the ballot dragged newcomer Sandra Thomas down in to the dirt with him. For the sake of a politically insignificant ballot position, Loudon withdrew his name from the ballot at least twice in one day in an irresponsible duel with Thomas that made a mockery of the filing process. In seeking an office which requires precise management and leadership skills Mr. Loudon displayed neither. Mr. Loudon who has professed to have expert knowledge of the inner workings of state government did not understand the fail safe provisions in place that are intended to prevent this kind of unprofessional manipulation. This is precisely the type of political maneuvering Jack Jackson is determined to remove from the auditor's office. We hope Mr. Loudon does not repeat this kind of irresponsible behavior on Friday and he allows the filing process to continue as intended by Missouri Statue in the best interest of our state's democracy".