A WSU graduate and Garfield resident was the first to announce her candidacy for Whitman County auditor Sunday.

Current Auditor Eunice Coker will finish her term in November 2018 and will not run for reelection.

Sandy Jamison said she wants to promote the idea that the auditor’s office exists to serve the public. She said she has spent a long time working for businesses and now believes she has the experience needed to serve the community.

“I am a strong believer in public service,” Jamison said.

One of her goals is to make the office pass all state and county audits, she said. State auditors gave Whitman County a positive review in September after years of shortcomings.

In order to maintain this, Jamison said preparation is key.

“Being an auditor myself, I think I have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for,” she said.

She said she would build a positive relationship with staff members, as well as with state and county officials. Jamison, a Republican, said she is going to train auditor’s office staff based on the needs she might see.

“Everyone has their strong points,” she said, “and I plan to use them.”

Jamison said she is looking into becoming a licensed election official, and that she would work to minimize mistakes by making it her responsibility to oversee the process.

“I’m a real stickler for detail,” she said.

With 30 years in the accounting and business world, Jamison said her work experience and education are her biggest qualifications.

Jamison received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from WSU and she is a certified public accountant.

She said her experience includes being a financial controller and office manager for two WSU research park biotech startups, Amplicon Express and Atairgin. She also worked in this position at Cascade Aircraft Conversions, a Garfield business that manufactures airplane engines.

She worked as a tax accountant for Jon Webber & Associates in Colfax, and as a cost accountant for Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane.  Jamison said she manages the finances of her and her husband Rusty’s 1,500-acre farm near Garfield

“I’m ready to give it my all and I’m excited for the journey,” she said.

Democrats have attributed Coker’s consecutive terms as auditor to the fact that she has run unopposed multiple times. At a November campaign event, Eric Fejeran, Whitman County Democrats chair, identified the soon-to-be vacant position as one of the party’s priorities.

“Up until recently, we hadn’t even had a clear audit,” Fejeran said. “We need something changed.”

He said county Democrats have considered a few people who were interested in running, but declined to name them.

Democrats planning to join the race will face challenges, Fejeran said. Just the size of Whitman County makes campaigning hard, and Republicans have a strong foothold in the county’s government.

“These are extremely important positions,” he said.