The Republican runoff for state auditor on July 15 features two of Alabama's best known political mavericks who promise to transform the smallest office in the state Capitol into a center for uncovering wrongdoing.
Mobile attorney Jim Zeigler is known as "Mr. 49 Percent" for losing many close races. He takes on retired Shelby County businessman Dale Peterson, who became an Internet sensation in his 2010 race for agriculture commissioner where he toted a gun and promised to go after the crooks in Montgomery.
Zeigler says he will increase the profile of the auditor's office by seeking reimbursement for missing state equipment. Peterson says he will encourage the Legislature to give the office some teeth by merging the Examiners of Public Accounts into it.
