By Brandon Moseley
Florence Attorney Brent Woodall brought his campaign for State Auditor to Huntsville on Monday where he addressed the Madison County Republican Executive Committee.
Woodall said that if elected as Alabama State Auditor that he would lobby the Alabama Legislature to restore the auditing function to the Auditor’s office. Woodall said that most voters think that the State Auditor does state audits; but that is not the case.
Woodall explained that in the 1940s, when “Big” Jim Folsom (D) was governor, that the legislature took the auditing function away from the executive branch and gave it to the legislative branch. Today audits are performed not by the Auditor’s office as intended by the writers of Alabama’s historic 1901 Constitution, but rather by the office of the Examiner of Public Accounts.
“The head of that department earned over $209,000 last year,” Woodall said. “And his number two earned over $100,000. We will save money by ending that department and we will restore the intent of the founders of the 1901 Constitution.
“If you look at the line of succession, the Auditor is above that of Secretary of State,” Woodall explained. “Restoring the Auditor would be restoring respect for the state government, while downsizing state government.”
Currently the State Auditor does property inventories.
Woodall says that he learned about the role of the State Auditor while he was working for the Public Service Commission.
Woodall is the first person in his family to go to college. He is an attorney who has worked as a prosecutor for the Alabama Attorney General’s office, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Montgomery, the Public Service Commission, and in private practice. Woodall is also a Church of God Pastor.
Woodall faces a crowded Republican primary field that includes: State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals), former State Sen. Rusty Glover (R-Semmes), and Walker County Pastor Stan Cook.
Current State Auditor Jim Zeigler is term limited from running for another term.
The Republican primary is May 24, 2022.
The Madison County Republican Party Executive Committee meets monthly at the First Baptist Church of Huntsville. Due to Christmas, there will not be a December meeting.
