The Greater Birmingham Libertarians held a candidates forum in Homewood on September 12. Leigh LaChine is running for State Auditor and was one of the three statewide Libertarian candidates who spoke at the forum.
“One thing I don’t want is straight-ticket voting,” LaChine said.
LaChine said that the important thing is to give the voters a choice on the ballot.
Lachine is the Chairman of the Greater Birmingham Libertarians, who hosted the event at Jim’ N Nick’s barbecue restaurant. He is the former Chair and Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. He is also the President of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association, which is part of the Birmingham Citizenship Participation Plan.
Current State Auditor Jim Zeigler is term-limited from running for a third term.
State Rep. Andrew Sorrell is the Republican nominee for State Auditor after a hard-fought primary runoff battle.
“My opponent got a perfect score from the American Conservative Union,” LaChine said. “He spent over $650,000 for a job that pays only $85,000. That does not sound very conservative to me. I hope to run my campaign for less than $1000, so I don’t have to file a campaign finance report.”
LaChine was born in Toledo, Ohio. He and his wife, Kathy, are very active in their community, serving as certified barbecue judges and fostering animals for the Human Society.
LaChine wrote on his website, “Libertarians believe that education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability, and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government.”
“Governments should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their consent,” Lachine added. “We believe the federal, state, and local governments simply can not afford to continue borrowing at our current rates. This runaway spending has led to a federal debt of over $30 trillion and climbing. The State of Alabama is $5 billion in debt.
LaChine is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of Lake High School in Millbury, Ohio. He has a bachelor’s degree from East Michigan University.
Libertarian gubernatorial nominee Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and Lieutenant Governor nominee Ruth Page Nelson also addressed the forum, as well as several State Legislature candidates. Lachine has worked in and started environmental consulting firms in Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama.
LaChine and Sorrell will both be on the November 8 general election ballot. There is no Democratic nominee running for State Auditor.
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