Utah State Auditor

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
Compensation: | $149,040
2024 FY Budget: | $8,498,100
Term limits: | None
Structure
Length of term: |  4 years
Authority: | Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 1
Selection Method: | Elected
Current Officeholder
John Dougall
Elections
Next election: | November 5, 2024
Last election: | November 3, 2020
Other Utah Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Attorney General •Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 2024
* 4.2 2020
* 4.3 2016
* 4.4 Full history
* 4.5 2012
* 4.6 2008
* 5 Vacancies
* 6 Duties
* 7 Divisions
* 8 State budget
* 9 Compensation
* 9.1 2022
* 9.2 2021
* 9.3 2020
* 9.4 2019
* 9.5 2018
* 9.6 2017
* 9.7 2016
* 9.8 2015
* 9.9 2014
* 9.10 2013
* 10 Historical officeholders
* 11 Recent news
* 12 Contact information
* 13 See also
* 14 External links
* 15 Footnotes

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.

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Republican John Dougall. He first won election on November 6, 2012, and took office on January 7, 2013. He won re-election on November 8, 2016.[1]

## 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...[2]

## Qualifications[edit]

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.[2]

## Elections[edit]

According to Article VII, Section 2 of the state constitution, Utah voters elect the auditor. Per Article VII, Section 1, the newly elected auditor takes office beginning on the first Monday of January next after the election.[2]

...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.

### 2024[edit]

See also: Utah Auditor election, 2024

General election candidates

Note: The list of general election candidates is incomplete pending results from the primary.

Democratic primary candidates

Note: The list of Democratic Party primary candidates is incomplete pending results from the convention.

Republican primary candidates

Note: The list of Republican Party primary candidates is incomplete pending results from the convention.

Democratic convention candidates

Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

* Catherine Voutaz

Republican convention candidates

Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

* Tina Cannon
* Ricky Hatch

Minor Party convention candidates

Constitution Party

Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

* Jeffrey Ostler

### 2020[edit]

See also: Utah Auditor election, 2020

General election candidates

* John Dougall (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
* Jeffrey Ostler (Constitution Party)
* Brian Fabbi (United Utah Party)

Democratic primary candidates

The Democratic Party primary was canceled.

Republican primary candidates

The Republican Party primary was canceled.

Republican convention candidates

* John Dougall (Incumbent) ✔

### 2016[edit]

See also: Utah Auditor election, 2016

The general election for auditor was held on November 8, 2016.

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

### 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.

## Vacancies[edit]

In the event of a vacancy in the office auditor, Article VII, Section 10 of the state constitution allows the governor to fill the vacancy by appointment. The appointee must be from the same political party as the previous officer and shall hold the office until a successor is elected and qualified.[2]

## Duties[edit]

The auditor holds users of the state's money accountable by performing audits of state and local governments. The specific duties of the state auditor are outlined in Title 67, Chapter 3 of the Utah code:[3]

“  |

* audit each permanent fund, each special fund, the General Fund, and the accounts of any department of state government or any independent agency or public corporation as the law requires, as the auditor determines is necessary, or upon request of the governor or the Legislature;
* perform the audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and other auditing procedures as promulgated by recognized authoritative bodies;
* as the auditor determines is necessary, conduct the audits to determine:
* honesty and integrity in fiscal affairs;
* accuracy and reliability of financial statements;
* effectiveness and adequacy of financial controls; and
* compliance with the law.[4]

| ”

|
|

Utah state government organizational chart

## Divisions[edit]

As of January 26, 2021, divisions within the auditor's office included:[5]

* Financial Audit
* Performance Audit
* Special Projects
* Local Government

## State budget[edit]

See also: Utah state budget and finances

The budget for the state auditor's office in Fiscal Year 2024 was $8,498,100.[6]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

See statutes: UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)

The state auditor, along with Utah's other elected executives, is entitled to a fixed salary, pursuant to Article VII, Section 18 of the Utah Constitution.

The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and any other state officer as the Legislature may provide, shall receive for their services a fixed and definite compensation as provided by law.[2]

The amount of compensation the state auditor receives annually is set by Title 67, Chapter 22, Section 1 of the Utah Code.[7]

### 2022[edit]

In 2022, the officer's salary was $149,040, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

### 2021[edit]

In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $149,040, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the auditor received a salary of $135,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the auditor received a salary $104,400 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the state auditor was paid an estimated $104,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013, the state auditor was paid an estimated $104,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

## Historical officeholders[edit]

There have been 25 state auditors of Utah since 1896.[18]

List of officeholders from 1896-Present

#  | Name  | Tenure  | Party
1 | Morgan Richards, Jr | 1896 - 1900 |  Republican
2 | C.S. Tingey | 1901 - 1904 |  Republican
3 | J.A. Edwards | 1905 - 1908 |  Republican
4 | Jesse D. Jewkes | 1909 - 1912 |  Republican
5 | Lincoln G. Kelly | 1913 - 1916 |  Republican
6 | Joseph Ririe | 1917 - 1920 |  Democratic
7 | Mark Tuttle | 1921 - 1924 |  Republican
8 | John E Holden | 1925 - 1928 |  Republican
9 | Ivor Ajax | 1929 - 1932 |  Republican
10 | Julius C Andersen | 1933 - 1936 |  Democratic
11 | John W. Guy | 1937 - 1940 |  Democratic
12 | Reese M. Reese | 1941 - 1944 |  Democratic
13 | Ferrell H. Adams | 1945 - 1948 |  Democratic
14 | Reese M. Reese | 1949 - 1952 |  Democratic
15 | Sherman J. Preece | 1953 - 1956 |  Republican
16 | Sid Lambourne | 1957 - 1961 |  Republican
17 | Sherman J. Preece | 1961 – 1965 |  Republican
18 | Sharp M. Larsen | 1965 - 1969 |  Democratic
19 | Sherman J. Preece | 1969 - 1972 |  Republican
20 | David Monson | 1972 - 1976 |  Republican
21 | Richard G. Jensen | 1976 - 1980 |  Republican
22 | W. Val Oveson | 1980 - 1985 |  Republican
23 | Tom L. Allen | 1985 - 1995 |  Republican
24 | Auston G. Johnson | 1995 - 2013 |  Republican
25 | John Dougall | 2013 - Present |  Republican

## Recent news[edit]

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

Utah State Auditor - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

Office of the Utah State Auditor
Utah State Capitol Complex
Senate Office Building Suite E310
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Phone: (801) 538-1025

## See also[edit]

Utah | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

Utah State Executive Offices Utah State Legislature Utah Courts |  2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Utah elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 |  Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Office of the Utah State Auditor

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Utah State Auditor, "Directory," accessed January 26, 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Utah State Legislature, "Utah Constitution," accessed January 26, 2021
3. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code Ann. § 67-3-1," accessed January 26, 2021
4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
5. ↑ Utah State Auditor, "About Us," accessed January 26, 2021
6. ↑ Utah Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, "Budget of the State of Utah and related Appropriations - Fiscal years 2023 and 2024," accessed December 6, 2023
7. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)," accessed January 26, 2021
8. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
9. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 26, 2021
11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 26, 2021
12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 26, 2021
13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 26, 2021
14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 29, 2014
18. ↑ Garrett Fortin, "Email communication with the Research Center of the Utah State Archives & Utah State History," January 14, 2014

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