Turnpike board member running for state auditor

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

Mary Z. Connaughton, the outspoken member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, said she filed papers today to run as a Republican for state auditor in 2010.

Mary Z. Connaughton

Connaughton said her formal announcement will come later, but she wanted to begin fund-raising for her effort to unseat long-time incumbent A. Joseph DeNucci, who has held the seat since 1987. DeNucci, a former state legislator and professional boxer, is a Democrat.

“There’s fewer and fewer eyes watching what’s going on," Connaughton said. "I intend to be a very powerful set of eyes and keep people informed.”

Connaughton, 49, of Framingham, was appointed to the Turnpike Authority board in 2005. Her job there ends this month as the authority is subsumed by a new state transportation department being formed as part of a larger overhaul in the state's network of roads, bridges, and trains.

Connaughton is a certified public accountant known for challenging the Patrick administration often and for delving into the details of the authority’s expenses. She lost a 2004 bid for state representative.