By Peter Hirschfeld, Vermont Press Bureau • June 10, 2010

MONTPELIER – Burlington policy analyst Doug Hoffer said he plans to run for state auditor, setting the stage for a contested Democratic primary against Sen. Ed Flanagan for the chance to square off against Republican incumbent Thomas Salmon in the November general election.

Hoffer, 58, said Tuesday that he’s “99-percent” sure he’ll formally announce his candidacy in the coming days. A long-time numbers cruncher who worked under former Burlington Mayor Bernard Sanders, Hoffer said he’ll rely on performance auditing to help the Legislature enact more responsible fiscal policies.

“In the context of Challenges for Change, we learned the administration has almost no good information to give to legislators to make good decisions. And the auditor can be a very important player in that role,” Hoffer said. “The state needs objective information. The core question is, what are we getting for the money we’re spending?”

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