KINDER WON'T RUN FOR STATE AUDITOR...

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, won't be running for state auditor this year after all.

Kinder announced Saturday that he is backing out of the race and will instead support Republican contender Chuck Pierce, who announced Friday that he will seek the office.

Pierce is deputy state auditor under incumbent Margaret Kelly. Kelly has endorsed Pierce's candidacy.

Kinder made his announcement at the Republican state committee meeting in St. Louis.

"I'm standing down from what I believe is a winnable race to give the guy who has been there in that office as deputy auditor the chance to win it," Kinder said."I know that he can win and know that he will win it in November."

With Kinder out of the race, Pierce is the only contender for the Republican nomination for state auditor.

Kinder said in December that he was considering a run for the auditor's post.

He pointed out that Pierce, 39, is a CPA, "a credential that I lack."

Kinder said he is "very comfortable" with his decision, and "enormously gratified" by the support he received while considering the bid for statewide office.

He added that he is interested in running for a statewide office "at some point," but now will concentrate on endorsing Pierce's candidacy "in all parts of the state where I have anybody who will listen to me."

He said he also wants to concentrate on helping the Republican party reclaim its majority in the Missouri Senate.

"We're only three seats short of a majority in the Missouri Senate. I'm going to be working very hard to regain that," Kinder said.

The GOP hasn't controlled the state Senate in 52 years.

"Although I'm not up this year, half of the Senate are, and we think we'll have a good shot at gaining the majority," he said.

Kinder, 43, will be up for re-election to the state Senate in the year 2000.

He hinted he may take a run at a statewide office then, when, he pointed out, five offices will be up for grabs.

On the other hand, he pointed out, "I belong to the last class that can legally run for a third term. I could constitutionally run for a third term but that's not my intention."

Kinder was elected to the state Senate in 1992.

On the Democratic side of the ballot, Clair McCaskill, the Jackson County prosecutor, is expected to declare her candidacy for the state auditor on Wednesday.

McCaskill is not a CPA, but her likely opponent for the nomination, St. Louis Alderman Steve Conway, is.

The Associated Press provided some information for this story.