Who's on the ballot in the Republican auditor runoff election in North Carolina?

The road to November has one more obstacle for Republican candidates in the state auditor race: the second primary.

Second primaries are not immediate in the Tar Heel state. Law says that a second-place candidate can request a runoff if neither candidate receives more than 30% of the vote in the first primary.

In the first primary, there were six candidates, but Jack Clark led with 23.2% of the vote and Dave Boliek trailed closely behind with 22.1% of the vote.

Whoever takes the Republican spot on May 14 will be running against Democratic incumbent Jessica Holmes and Libertarian Bob Drach in November.

There are also runoff races for Republican lieutenant governor, Republican U.S. House District 13 (which encompasses Johnston County and parts of Harnett, Wake and Wayne counties) and for Republican candidate in the South Point Township District on Gaston County Board of Commissioners.

More:Who is running in the second primary for lieutenant governor in North Carolina?

What does the state auditor do?

You know all of those state taxes you pay? The state auditor is in charge of ensuring those funds from the state are being accurately allocated. They also oversee a tip line in which North Carolinians can submit complaints, tips about fraud, waste and abuse of state funds, according to the office of the state auditor website.

In other words, they are the watchdogs of taxpayer money.

Here are the candidates vying for the Republican spot on the November ballot.

Dave Boliek

From: Fayetteville

Education: Degree in journalism from UNC–Chapel Hill; law degree and MBA from Campbell University

Occupation: Attorney and small businessman

In his previous role as chairman with UNC Board of Trustees, he created an audit committee for the university. Also in this role, he fought against “woke” agendas in schools. Boliek has served on the budget, finance and infrastructure committee with UNC. His several leadership roles overseeing large organizations make him equipped to succeed as state auditor, his platform states.

He is running on his leadership skills and his intention to hold the state accountable for taxpayer dollars. His work in prosecution will help him “root out government corruption,” according to his campaign website. In fact, he has already called out the current auditor saying she has been absent whilst Durham Public Schools is in “crisis.”

Jack Clark

From: Wake County

Education: BS in economics at Duke University and a Master of Accounting from UNC-Chapel Hill, obtained certified public accountant (CPA) licensure

Occupation: Budget policy advisor for North Carolina General Assembly. Previously, Clark audited for big corporations and smaller start-ups.

Clark’s campaign has stressed his education and experience in completing audits compared to his competitor. Clark, unlike Boliek, has his CPA, a license that shows a person’s ability to successfully complete audits. This license is not a requirement to run or serve as state auditor.

Clark has taken a less direct approach to his campaign promises. In campaign videos, he refrained from promising to audit specific departments saying he doesn’t want to put them on the defense.

Helping craft the budget in his current role with the General Assembly will help him audit better if elected, he said. He also hopes to implement developing data technology as the audit industry changes.

More:North Carolina will have a second primary on May 14. Here’s why and what you need to know

When can I vote in the runoff?

• April 25 - May 11: In-person early voting

• May 7: Last day to request absentee ballot

• May 14: Election Day, absentee ballots due

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Candidates for state auditor second primary election in North Carolina