Nicole Galloway

Nicole Galloway never intended to get into politics the way that she did. The state auditor of Missouri and gubernatorial candidate was a CPA and certified fraud examiner when she was recruited to fill the slot of Boone County treasurer after her predecessor suddenly passed away. Four years later, she was appointed to the role of state auditor after the suicide of previous auditor Tom Schweich. Now, Galloway is taking her “outsider” perspective and running against Missouri’s incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Parson. She credits her approach to governance to her history as an auditor: During her time as state auditor, she recovered $350 million in wasted or stolen taxpayer money and brought 50 criminal counts against corrupt public officials, both Republican and Democratic. Much like former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, she’s found success in running on a “pro-math” platform. In a state that Trump won by 18.5 points, the battle is uphill for the Democratic mother of three, but polls show that she’s within the margin of error of her competition. Missouri could soon see its first female governor.