Vaudt's Out

State Auditor Dave Vaudt says he's not running for governor. From The Des Moines Register:

Vaudt, who is in the middle of his second, four-year term as state auditor, said this afternoon that the state would best be served with his continued focus upon Iowa's fiscal picture instead of 18 months of campaigning for governor. He is planning to seek re-election as auditor.

 Although I think Vaudt's watchdog record would have been a big selling point for his candidacy, I'm not surprised he opted against jumping in. He's got a good gig now and the current landscape can't look very promising to a Republican moderate.

"This is a very critical time for Iowa and we need a strong voice and an experienced voice to keep Iowans in tune with what's really taking place with our finances," Vaudt said. "The last thing we can afford is to have that voice diminished in any way."