Missouri's State Auditor Tom Schweich has plans to hold a higher office soon.

He announced Wednesday his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2016, and stopped by the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Thursday morning to discuss his decision.

A key platform for Schweich is addressing corruption and implementing new ethics laws. He also expressed interest in looking more closely at health care, education policy and economic development. Significant changes in those areas have been few because of special interests in the Legislature, he said, which is why he's promised to fight "rampant corruption" in Jefferson City.

Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich

"Most governors don't have an anti-corruption background. I know all the state agencies ... so for me it would be an easy step," Schweich said. "The difference is, as auditor, you point out problems and if there's a criminal, you can get them prosecuted. But as far as making changes, it's kind of voluntary. It's up to the governor. Well, it's time for me now to go in there and make those changes."

Running for governor is a difficult process, Schweich pointed out, and the position has eluded Republicans for many years. His party has held the seat for only four of the past 24 years, he said. To win the seat that will be left vacant next year by term-limited Gov. Jay Nixon, he said Republicans need to run a trusted, well-known candidate.

"The Democrats are going to go with [State Attorney General] Chris Koster: a history-making, two-time statewide winner who's never lost an election," said Schweich. "I'm a history-making, two-time statewide winner who's never lost an election. You've got to put your toughest person up against their toughest person and I don't think anybody else that's running or thinking about running can say that."

Running against Schweich for the Republican nomination is former Missouri House Speaker and U.S. attorney Catherine Hanaway. Most of Hanaway's money has come from wealthy conservative political activist Rex Sinquefield, whom Schweich described as someone with "tentacles around the whole state."

As The Associated Press reported, Schweich also has benefited from big donors. He's received more than $500,000 since 2009 from Sam Fox, a St. Louis businessman who also gave to groups supporting stem-cell research.

Schweich aired some concerns about Koster's ethics as well, referring to an October New York Times report claiming Koster was one of many state attorneys general possibly influenced by campaign contributions and lobbyists. The story alleges Koster's office gave preferential treatment to companies it was investigating in exchange for the contributions, although the attorney general later denied those claims. Schweich also cited an audit by his office that suggested Koster had a conflict of interest for accepting campaign contributions from lawyers seeking state contracts.

Schweich has served as state auditor for four years and in November ran unopposed for another four-year term. Running for governor does not require him to give up his office.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Cape Girardeau, Mo.