Auditor Tom Salmon Not Running for Re-Election, Likely Moving to Washington D.C.
State Auditor Tom Salmon said on Friday that he isn't running for re-election and is likely moving his family to Washington D.C. to work for the federal government.
Salmon (pictured) said he would finish out his term, which ends in January 2013.
"I have a number of options presented to me, and some still out there, in God's hands," Salmon said in a statement released Friday.
"It is most likely I will land in federal service in the IG [inspector general] or CFO [Chief Financial Officers Council] communities as my passion continues to be improving government performance and better federal-state-local intergovernmental collaboration. I have an offer from a CPA firm as well," the statement said.
In a phone interview Friday, Salmon told Seven Days that he has a "pretty good idea" what job he'll be going to but hasn't accepted a job offer yet. He said he has a "half dozen potential jobs that I could see myself going to. But I have an offer from a large CPA firm as well." He wouldn't name the firm. Salmon said it's "very likely" the job will take him to Washington D.C.
One factor driving Salmon's decision was money. The auditor said he has three college-age kids and needs a job that'll pay the tuition bills.
"I've never chosen a job for a salary but now I'm in a position where I have a skill set that probably can earn between $160,000 and $220,000 reasonably," Salmon says. "And that would prevent our family from strangling under debt."
Salmon's announcement comes a day before Vermont Republicans are set to gather in Montpelier on Saturday for their statewide convention. Salmon said two other Republicans have expressed interest in running for auditor: state Sen. Vince Illuzzi of Essex/Orleans, and state Sen. Kevin Mullin of Rutland.
Salmon's exit creates an open seat for auditor for the first time in years and is seemingly a boost for Democratic candidate Doug Hoffer, a Progressive-leaning policy analyst based in Burlington who lost to Salmon by 7 points in 2010. Hoffer reacted to Salmon's news with a statement saying he wished the departing auditor well.
"I'm running for State Auditor regardless of the opponent. I'm going to tell voters about my qualifications, my experience, and my plans for the job," Hoffer said. "I have begun meeting with Democrats and Progressives around the state and I look forward to the campaign."