Schweich Downplaying Previous Commitment To Hyperpartisan Auditing

What's going on here?  Ambassador Thomas Schweich is telling people that he would be an "independent" State Auditor if elected in November.  From the Washington University Student Life newspaper.

Although Schweich is a Republican, he said he would bring an "independent" mind to the job.

This is most certainly at odds with the rhetoric he employed during his primary fight with Allen Icet.  As printed last September in the News-Leader:

"There's an important policy reason that this auditor's race is so important, and there's also a very significant reason from a political standpoint if you're a loyal Republican," said Schweich, a Washington University law professor and former ambassador to Afghanistan.

It's almost like Schweich has completely changed his message now that he's talking to general election voters.