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Former KPMG Partner Wants a Job That Is Worse Than Being a KPMG Partner

I kid, I kid. There are plenty of KPMG partners who couldn’t be happier if they were PwC partners. ANYWAY, that’s beside the point. What is the point is that former House of Klynveld partner Leslie Coolidge is running for U.S. Congress in Illinois’ Sixth District. Why would a seemingly normal person CPA opt for a career in the dungeon asylum hellhole that is the House of Representatives? Well, she has her reasons:

“Like many of us, I have become increasingly dismayed by the apparent unwillingness of our current Congress to address the critical issues facing our country today,” Coolidge, 52, said. “As I watched the brinksmanship this summer as Congress actually considered letting our country go into financial default, I knew I could no longer sit on the sidelines. As a CPA, I can delve into and understand complex financial matters and create innovative solutions that make sense. In addition, much of my career was spent negotiating among parties with divergent views to find ways to successfully move forward, something Congress is not doing.”

An agent of change! A uniter, not a divider! All that crap! How could it go wrong?

Coolidge announces candidacy for Congress [NS]

Will Keith Fimian Request a Recount for Virginia’s 11th Congressional Seat?

The final Congressional race featuring an accountant is in Virginia’s 11th District where KPMG alum Keith Fimian trails incumbent Gerry Connolly by less than half a point:

Challenger Keith Fimian was able to pick up votes on incumbent Gerry Connolly as a result, but not enough to make a significant dent in Connolly’s lead. There are still approximately 250 provisional ballots to be counted.

As of 1:30 p.m., the vote in the 11th District as a whole is:

Connolly: 111,630 (49.21%)
Fimian: 110, 700 (48.80%)

Fimian has to request the recount and has until November 22nd when the election becomes official. Because the margin is less half a percentage point, the recount would be paid for by Virginia (i.e. the taxpayers). No pressure, Keith. You best sleep on it for a day or two.

Three Accountants Won Big on Election Day, One Huge Loss and One Race Still Undecided

A quick rundown of the results on the races we told you about yesterday.


Wisconsin – Ron Johnson won handily over Russ Feingold disappointing liberals like ATL Editor Elie Mystal and served as a pleasant surprise to libertarians like Adrienne who texted us, “WHOA Feingold got taken out in Wisconsin!! I never thought I would see that.”

South Carolina – Nikki Haley won over Vinny Sheheen. She will be the first female governor in the Palmetto State’s history.

New York – Joe DioGuardi got trounced by Kirsten Gillibrand who got over 60% of the vote. Harry Reid is double-relieved.

Michigan – Rick “One Tough Nerd” Snyder cruised to victory over Virg Bernero in the governor’s race, winning by approximately 20 points.

Virginia – The one race that is still ongoing is in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District between Gerry Connolly and KPMG alum Keith Fimian. The Wall St. Journal reports, “Connolly is leading by 487 votes. Mr. Connolly has 49.2% of the vote, while Mr. Fimian, who lost narrowly to Mr. Connolly in 2008, has 49%,” and Fimian is confident that he’ll be declared the winner.

So for those keeping score, accountants (all GOP, not surprisingly) are 3-1 with one race still too close to call. We’ll be watching the VA11 race until the bitter, bitter end.

(UPDATE) Accountants to Watch on Election Day 2010

~ Update includes the Michigan Governor’s race.

Here’s a rundown of some of the more prominent races that feature accountants. All of the polling information cited is the calculated average from Real Clear Politics.

Wisconsin – Republican Ron “There are two many lawyers in the Senate” Johnson leads incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold by approximately 7 points.

South Carolina – In the Governor’s race, Republican Nikki Haley’s tardy tax filings have not hurt her prospects as she leads Democrat Vincent Sheheen by approximately 11 points.

New York – Incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand leads Republican Joe DioGuardi by approximately 20 points. For those not familiar with DioGuardi, he is an Arthur Andersen alum who made partner at age 31, was the first practicing CPA elected to Congress and is the father of Kara DioGuardi (ask the person next to you if you don’t know).

Virginia – Republican Keith Fimian (spent 7 years at KPMG) is in a toss-up race against Democrat incumbent Gerry Connolly in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.

Michigan – Republican Gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder (Coopers & Lybrand alum who made partner in six years) leads his Democratic opponent Virg Bernero by approximately 17 points.

So it looks as though your bean counter brethren will win at least two three races (Haley, Johnson, Snyder) with one certain defeat and one that’s too close to call.

If we’ve missed any accountants-cum-candidates in a Congressional or Gubenatorial race, let us know below or shoot us an email and we’ll update the post. Now go vote.