Utah Auditor election, 2016

Utah 2016 elections

* * *

Presidential • U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • State judges • Local judges • State ballot measures • School boards • Candidate ballot access |

|
|

2020 →

<- 2012

Utah Auditor Election

* * *

Primary Date:
June 2016
General Election Date:
November 8, 2016

* * *

November Election Winner:
John Dougall (R)
Incumbent Prior to Election:
John Dougall (R)

* * *

State Executive Elections Top Ballot
Governor and Lt. Governor
Attorney General • Treasurer
Down Ballot
Auditor
Key election dates

* * *

Filing deadline:
March 17, 2016
Nominating conventions:
April 2016/May 2016
Primary date:
June 28, 2016
Filing deadline (write-ins):
September 9, 2016
General election date:
November 8, 2016
Recount request deadline:
TBD
Inauguration:
January 2, 2017

Utah held an election for Auditor on November 8, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

* Incumbent John Dougall (R) ran for re-election to a second term.

* No primary elections were held for this race; Democrat Mike Mitchell and Jared Green of the Independent American Party of Utah challenged Dougall in the general election.

* No Democrat has held the office of state auditor since 1969.

* Dougall won the general election on November 8, 2016.

## Contents

* 1 Candidates
* 2 Results
* 3 Context of the 2016 election
* 3.1 Primary elections
* 3.2 Incumbent John Dougall (R)
* 3.3 Party control in Utah
* 4 Campaigns
* 4.1 Campaign finance
* 5 About the office
* 6 Incumbent
* 7 Authority
* 8 Elections
* 8.1 Full history
* 9 Recent news
* 9.1 See also
* 9.2 External links
* 9.3 Footnotes

## Candidates[edit]

Mike Mitchell (D)
Accountant

* * *

John Dougall (R)
Incumbent State auditor since 2013

* * *

Jared Green (IAP)
Employee; Fedex Express, Napa Auto Parts

* * *

## Results[edit]

Incumbent John Dougall defeated Mike Mitchell and Jared Green in the Utah auditor election.

Utah Auditor, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  John Dougall Incumbent | 63.23% | 679,655
| Democratic  | Mike Mitchell | 30.66% | 329,621
| Independent American Party  | Jared Green | 6.11% | 65,690
Total Votes | 1,074,966
Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office-Elections

## Context of the 2016 election[edit]

### Primary elections[edit]

A primary election is an election in which voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. In Utah, parties decide who may vote in their primaries. Registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters may vote in the Democratic primary. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.[1]

Unlike the major parties in most states, those in Utah elect delegates who vote to nominate the party candidates at the state conventions without a primary election.[2] In order to receive the nomination at the convention, a candidate must secure at least 60 percent of the vote. If no candidate wins at least 60 percent, a primary election is held.[3]

Utah's primary elections took place on June 28, 2016. The Republican primary for governor was the only primary election on the ballot. No primary elections were held for state auditor, as all candidates were nominated at party conventions.

### Incumbent John Dougall (R)[edit]

Dougall was first elected auditor in 2012, when he unseated incumbent Auditor Auston G. Johnson in the Republican primary by a seven point margin. He won the general election by a 35 percent margin. Prior to his election, Dougall had served in the state House since 2003; he stepped down to take the auditor post. He previously worked as an electrical engineer and businessman.

### Party control in Utah[edit]

Utah state government has been under Republican trifecta control since as early as 1992. Additionally, all partisan state executive offices are also held by Republicans. The state has not seen a Democratic governor since Scott M. Matheson left office in 1985. Utah has not been represented by a Democrat in the U.S. Senate since 1977; the state's electoral college votes have gone to a Republican every presidential election since Lyndon B. Johnson (D) in 1964.[4]

A Democrat has not held the office of auditor in Utah since Sharp M. Larsen left office in 1969. Republicans have won election to the office by margins of at least 20 percent since 2000, with Republican Auston G. Johnson running unopposed in the 2000 general election.

## Campaigns[edit]

### Campaign finance[edit]

John Dougall Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
Convention report| January 1, 2016 - April 13, 2016| $0| $27,359.43| $(6,493.78)| $20,865.65
Primary report| April 14, 2016 - June 6, 2016| $20,865.65| $3,290.44| $(2,060.50)| $22,095.59
| | | Running totals|
| | | $30,649.87| $(8,554.28)|
Mike Mitchell Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
Convention report| January 1, 2016 - April 13, 2016| $0| $725.00| $(725.00)| $0
Primary report| April 14, 2016 - June 6, 2016| $0| $1,300.00| $(19.75)| $1,280.25
| | | Running totals|
| | | $2,025| $(744.75)|
Jared Green Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
Convention report| January 1, 2016 - April 13, 2016| $0| $0| $(0)| $0
Primary report| April 14, 2016 - June 6, 2016| $0| $0| $(0)| $0
| | | Running totals|
| | | $0| $(0)|

## About the office[edit]

See also: Utah State Auditor

The Utah State Auditor is an elected position in the Utah state government. The auditor is the chief watchdog for the state, providing independent audits of Utah's state and local governments. The auditor operates independently of any executive or administrative officers of the state.

# Incumbent[edit]

The incumbent was Republican John Dougall. He first won election on November 6, 2012, and took office on January 7, 2013.

Qualifications Article VII, Section 3 of the Utah Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:

1. To be eligible for the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor a person shall be 30 years of age or older at the time of election.
2. To be eligible for the office of Attorney General a person shall be 25 years of age or older, at the time of election, admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Utah, and in good standing at the bar.
3. To be eligible for the office of State Auditor or State Treasurer a person shall be 25 years of age or older at the time of election.
4. No person is eligible to any of the offices provided for in Section 1 unless at the time of election that person is a qualified voter and has been a resident citizen of the state for five years next preceding the election.

# Authority[edit]

The Office of State Auditor is established in Article VII, Section 1 of the state constitution.

Article VII, Section 1:

The elective constitutional officers of the Executive Department shall consist of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Attorney General...

# Elections[edit]

According to Article VII, Section 2 of the state constitution, Utah voters elect the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, and auditor...

...every four years at the time and place of voting for members of the Legislature. The candidates respectively having the highest number of votes cast for the office voted for shall be elected. If two or more candidates have an equal and the highest number of votes for any one of the offices, the two houses of the Legislature at its next session shall elect by joint ballot one of those candidates for that office.

* Per Article VII, Section 1, the newly elected auditor takes office beginning on the first Monday of January next after his election.

### Full history[edit]

To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of Utah State Auditor, click [show] to expand the section.

|

2012

See also: Utah down ballot state executive elections, 2012

Incumbent Auston Johnson (R) ran for re-election in 2012 but lost in the primary. John Dougall (R) defeated Mark Sage (D) and Richard Proctor (C) in the November 6, 2012 general election.

| Utah State Auditor General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Mark Sage  | 29.5% | 259,576
| Republican  | John Dougall | 65.4% | 575,677
| Constitution  |  Richard Proctor  | 5.2% | 45,373
Total Votes | 880,626
Election results via Utah Lieutenant Governor (dead link)

2008

On November 4, 2008, Auston Johnson won re-election to the office of Utah State Auditor. He defeated Clare Collard (D), Mike Stoddard (L) and Richard D. Proctor (C) in the general election.

Utah State Auditor, 2008

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Auston Johnson Incumbent | 58.4% | 527,381
| Democratic  |  Clare Collard  | 31.6% | 285,417
| Libertarian  |  Mike Stoddard  | 6.2% | 55,992
| Constitution  |  Richard D. Proctor | 3.7% | 33,800
Total Votes | 902,590
Election results via Elections.utah.gov.

2004

On November 2, 2004, Auston Johnson won re-election to the office of Utah State Auditor. He defeated Carlos Vasquez (D), Valerie S. Larsen (PC) and Mike Stoddard (L) in the general election.

Utah State Auditor, 2004

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Auston Johnson Incumbent | 62.5% | 552,982
| Democratic  |  Carlos Vasquez  | 28.7% | 253,940
| Personal Choice  |  Valerie S. Larsen  | 4.7% | 41,308
| Libertarian  |  Mike Stoddard  | 4.2% | 36,767
Total Votes | 884,997
Election results via Elections.utah.gov.

2000

On November 7, 2000, Auston G. Johnson won re-election to the office of Utah State Auditor. He ran unopposed in the general election.

Utah State Auditor, 2000

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Auston G. Johnson Incumbent | 100% | 521,602
| Write-In |  Tony Bereshny  | 0% | 5
Total Votes | 521,607
Election results via Elections.utah.gov.

# Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Utah Auditor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Utah Auditor election, 2016 - Google News

## See also[edit]

Utah government:

* Utah state executive offices
* Utah State Legislature
* Utah courts

Previous elections:

* State executive official elections, 2015
* State executive official elections, 2014

Ballotpedia exclusives:

* State executives compensation
* State of the state addresses
* Who runs the states?

|
|

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Utah Office of the State Auditor

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Voter Registration: Utah," accessed January 3, 2014
2. ↑ In many states, the party nomination takes the form of an endorsement, with the nominee decided in the primary elections. In other states, the custom is for candidates who are defeated at the party convention to bow out of the race, though they are not required to do so, leaving the primary effectively a formality. Conversely, some states conduct conventions after the primary, making the nominating convention a formality.
3. ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch forced into primary fight," April 21, 2012
4. ↑ National Records and Archives Administration, "Historical election results," accessed June 21, 2016

State Auditors

Auditors

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Idaho • Kansas • Louisiana • Maryland • Minnesota • Montana • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • Pennsylvania • South Carolina • South Dakota • West Virginia

By state

Alabama • Arkansas • California • Delaware • Georgia • Hawaii • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kentucky • Maine • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Missouri • Mississippi • Montana • Nebraska • New Mexico • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming - state auditor • Wyoming - audit director

Elections

2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Other

State executive offices • Chart of state executive officers • News

v • e

State of Utah
Salt Lake City (capital)

|

Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

v • e

2016 state executive official elections

Governor|

Delaware • Indiana • Missouri • Montana • New Hampshire • North Carolina • North Dakota • Oregon • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

* * *

Lieutenant Governor|

Delaware • Indiana • Missouri • Montana • North Carolina • North Dakota • Utah • Vermont • Washington

* * *

Secretary of State|

Missouri • Montana • New Mexico • North Carolina • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

* * *

Attorney General|

Indiana • Missouri • Montana • North Carolina • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

* * *

Down ballot offices|

Treasurer: Missouri • North Carolina • North Dakota • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

* * *

Auditor: Montana • North Carolina • North Dakota • Pennsylvania • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

* * *

Superintendent of Schools: Indiana • Montana • North Carolina • North Dakota • Washington

* * *

Insurance Commissioner: Delaware • Montana • North Carolina • North Dakota • Washington

* * *

Natural Resources Commissioner: Washington

* * *

Agriculture Commissioner: North Carolina • West Virginia

* * *

Labor Commissioner: North Carolina

* * *

Public Service Commissioner: Alabama • Arizona • Georgia • Louisiana • Montana • Nebraska • New Mexico • North Dakota • Oklahoma • South Dakota

* * *

Comptroller: Illinois

* * *

Election information|

Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • Filing deadlines and primary dates

State executive offices

Offices

Governor • Lt. Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Schools • Insurance Commissioner • Controller • Agriculture Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commissioner

States

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Elections

2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features

Chart of state executive officers • Compensation • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • How vacancies are filled in state executive offices • State executive officials serving in home states • State government trifectas • State of the state addresses • Term limits

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

* * *

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations:  Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

* * *

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams, Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Victoria Edwards • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox