Red, white and blue abounded inside the Boys and Girls Club of Greenville on Sunday afternoon, as a large number of supporters of a &#8220hometown girl” arrived to feast on barbecue and help fuel her campaign.

State Auditor Beth Chapman, who is running for the office of Secretary of State on the Republican ticket, hosted the barbecue luncheon fundraiser last weekend. It also happened to be the Greenville native's 44th birthday.

A room filled with family and friends wished Chapman &#8220Happy Birthday” in song. Bobby Terrell, who helped organize the event, presented her with an original camellia painting as a birthday gift from the city.

Chapman, known for her razor-sharp wit, opened her remarks to the audience with some good-natured ribbing addressed to members of the various church denominations present.

She also praised the ladies of the Walnut Street Church of Christ for the array of desserts they had prepared to go along with the meal, which was supplied by Tin Roof Barbecue of Hoover.

The state auditor reminded those present of her strong belief in being fiscally responsible.

&#8220With 25 percent budget cuts in my office, I was still able to get 96 percent perfect audits” Chapman said to a burst of applause.

The self-professed &#8220tightwad” made no apologies for her Republican stance.

&#8220However, my campaign is also open to Democrats, Independents and Libertarians – all God's people. I have tons of Democratic supporters in this election who are not happy with the current office holder,” Chapman said.

One of the issues she says she plans to address as secretary of state is fraud.

&#8220I was recently in Hale County, where they have a history of voter fraud. They asked me what I would do if elected, and I said, ‘Number one, if you're dead, you cannot vote,'” she said, to chuckles from her audience.

&#8220Seriously, there is a lot of fraud in the state we need to take care of.”

Chapman urged those who would be voting in the Republican Primary to give her their vote.

&#8220For those who are voting in the Democratic Primary, I ask you to remember me in November. If I can't be your first choice, I would be honored and proud to be your second choice.”

Chapman said she saw the campaign road ahead of her as a hard one. &#8220I ask for your prayers. Before it is over, I will be called everything but a child of God. But I am one, and I will hold my head up high.”

Bobby Terrell also briefly spoke.

&#8220It takes a lot of money to run a state-wide campaign. Let's give Beth our support in these coming weeks and months.”