Auditor announces new campaign

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 9, 2005

BNI Newswire

Butler County native Beth Chapman announced Monday that she will seek the secretary of state's office in 2006.

"I'm very excited," she said. "I've received great encouragement from family and friends as well as support from people of both parties."

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Chapman formally announced her intention to seek the office of secretary of state Monday on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery.

The Republican currently serves as state auditor, the office that handles property management for Alabama.

Chapman was joined at the announcement by

her parents, Tommy and Joanne Killough and a host of other family and friends from Greenville. Her husband, James; her two sons, Taylor and Thatcher; and her current chief of staff, Barbara Parker of Alabaster also joined her.

She told those gathered for her announcement of the success she had managing the office of auditor with 25 percent less funds than her predecessors while increasing the number of perfect audits of state agencies to 98 percent.

"I am pleased with what we've accomplished. Accountability has not been just a buzz word in my office," Chapman said. "It's been a reality."

As secretary of state, Chapman promises more of the same.

"From the moment I came to Montgomery, my only campaign promise was to serve with honesty and integrity. That is what I've done," she told those gathered for the announcement.

"If you serve with honesty and integrity, then all the hard work, common

sense leadership skills and proven experience are just the icing on the

cake."

Chapman said she decided to run for secretary of state because of her

passion for honest elections and a democracy free from corruption.

"Voting is a sacred freedom and honest Alabamians deserve honest elections,"

she said.

"I will be more than an advocate for honest elections; I will be a warrior

for honest elections."

First and foremost in achieving honest elections is to learn from those who

work in the area of elections.

To that end, she said, one of the first things she plans to do is set up a

meeting with registrars and probate judges across the state to determine the

positives and negatives about Alabama's election process.

"I will urge the Legislature to do everything within its power to create and

implement laws increasing the legal consequences for those who commit any

and every form of voter fraud," Chapman said.

"The need for photo voter ID will also be brought to the forefront. The

sacred freedom of voting must be protected and preserved."

Before being elected as Alabama's state auditor in 2002, Chapman served as a

cabinet member for former Gov. Fob James and press secretary for Lt. Gov.

Steve Windom.

She also owns her own business, Beth Chapman & Associates LLC, and serves as

executive director of Shelby County's Court Appointed Special Advocates

among other nonprofit work.

In 2003, Chapman gave a patriotic speech at a Stand Up for America rally in

Pelham that quickly became a worldwide success reaching 18 countries and all

50 states, foreign battlefields, aircraft carriers, the Pentagon and more.

She later wrote a book, "The Power of Patriotism – The Speech Heard Around

the World," about that speech and the extraordinary reaction to it.

Her second book, a devotional about Alabama native and gospel music legend

Vestal Goodman, was published earlier this year.