State Auditor of Alabama

Last updated
State Auditor of Alabama
Andrew Sorrell by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Incumbent
Andrew Sorrell
since January 16, 2023
TypeState Auditor
Term length
Two consecutive terms
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The state auditor of Alabama is constitutionally required to make a complete report to the governor of Alabama showing the receipts and disbursement of every character, all claims audited and paid out, and all taxes and revenues collected and paid into the treasury. The office also makes other reports to the governor and the Alabama Legislature as the law requires. Since 1969, the office has been responsible for maintaining all property records of all non-consumable property of the State of Alabama. Until 1899 the office was responsible for maintaining all land records of the state when at that time, that function was transferred to the Alabama Forestry Commission. A separate Office of Public Examiners administers audits conducted by the state.

Contents

The state auditor also serves as a member of The State Board of Adjustment, The State Board of Appointment for Boards of Registrars, The State Board of Compromise, The Alabama Education Authority (ex officio), and The Penny Trust Fund.

Election of State Auditor

The state auditor is an elected post chosen in partisan elections. It is elected in the same cycle as the other constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Alabama, including the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, and secretary of state. State law prohibits any individual from being elected to more than two consecutive terms. Women have traditionally held the office for most of the past sixty years. Nine women have held the post starting with the election of Agnes Baggett in 1954.

The current state auditor is Andrew Sorrell, who took office on January 16, 2023. He was previously a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 3rd district. His predecessor as auditor was Jim Zeigler, a fellow Republican who held the office from 2015 to 2023. He was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third term and unsuccessfully ran for Secretary of State of Alabama instead. Sorrell won the Republican primary and general election to succeed Zeigler in 2022.

Listed below are the state auditors for the past several terms:

2022 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
Eliminated
  • Stan Cooke, professional counselor and previous candidate for this seat in 2018 [1] [3] (eliminated in runoff)
  • Rusty Glover, former member of the Alabama Senate from the 34th district (2006–2018) [1] (eliminated in first round)

First round

Endorsements
Stan Cooke
PACS
Andrew Sorrell
Organizations
  • Alabama Republican Assembly [5]
Results
Republican primary results [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Andrew Sorrell 211,773 39.46%
Republican Stan Cooke 175,970 32.79%
Republican Rusty Glover148,87227.74%
Total votes536,615 100%

Runoff

Debates and forums

Candidates Cooke and Sorrell squared off in a debate at the Gardendale Civic Center just more than a week ahead of the Republican primary runoff on June 13, 2022. The debate was cosponsored by WYDE-FM and 1819 News. [7]

2022 Alabama State Auditor Republican Primary Runoff Forum
No.DateLocationHostModeratorLinkParticipants
 P Participant   A Absent   N Non-invitee   I Invitee E Eliminated   W  Withdrawn
CookeGlover Sorrell
1 [7] June 13, 2022 Gardendale WYDE-FMBecky Garretson
Ray Melick
Facebook PEP
Results
Republican primary runoff results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Andrew Sorrell 205,006 57.5%
Republican Stan Cooke151,81542.5%
Total votes356,821 100%

Libertarian nomination

No primary was held for the Libertarian Party, and the party instead nominated candidates. [9]

Nominee

  • Leigh Lachine [9]

General election

2022 Alabama State Auditor general election results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Andrew Sorrell 947,266 85.0%
Libertarian Leigh Lachine166,76015.0%
Total votes1,114,026 100%

2018 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Stan Cooke153,57832.60%
Republican Elliot Lipinksy55,62411.80%
Republican Jim Zeigler 216,153 55.60%
Total votes425,355 100%

General election

2018 State Auditor of Alabama election results [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Zeigler 1,018,466 60.42%
Democratic Miranda Joseph665,67939.49%
Write in1,3620.09%
Total votes1,685,507 100%

2014 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dale Peterson 84,828 24.35%
Republican Hobbie Sealy34,91010.02%
Republican Adam Thompson64,68818.57%
Republican Jim Zeigler 164,002 47.07%
Total votes348,428 100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dale Peterson3,36041.00%
Republican Jim Zeigler 4,886 59.00%
Total votes8,246 100%

General election

2014 State Auditor of Alabama election results [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Zeigler 716,122 62.92%
Democratic Miranda Joseph420,84336.98%
Write in1,0100.10%
Total votes1,137,975 100%

2010 State Auditor of Alabama election

2010 State Auditor of Alabama election results [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Samantha Shaw 893,229 62.65%
Democratic Miranda Joseph531,23337.26%
Write in1,3010.09%
Total votes1,425,763 100%

2006 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Wes Allen 102,520 30.66%
Republican Chess Bedsole69,32120.73%
Republican Samantha Shaw 88,114 26.35%
Republican Tripp Skipper74,43622.26%
Total votes334,391 100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Wes Allen 80,67149.24%
Republican Samantha Shaw 83,176 50.76%
Total votes163,847 100%

Democratic primary

Democratic Primary Results [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Charley Baker116,62430.80%
Democratic Janie Baker Clarke 194,283 51.20%
Democratic Wayne Sowell68,22318.00%
Total votes379,130 100%

General election

2006 State Auditor of Alabama election results [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Samantha Shaw 627,424 54.08%
Democratic Janie Baker Clarke531,71745.83%
Write in9460.09%
Total votes1,160,087 100%

2002 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Beth Chapman 82,013 26.80%
Republican Pat Duncan51,55318.00%
Republican Meredith Mayes30,27910.50%
Republican Jim Zeigler 123,279 42.90%
Total votes298,642 100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Beth Chapman 73,118 52.56%
Republican Jim Zeigler 65,98347.46%
Total votes139,101 100%

Democratic primary

Democratic Primary Results [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Debbie Tucker Corbett 75,534 21.33%
Democratic Earl Mack "Choo-Choo" Gavin25,8867.31%
Democratic Carolyn Gibson 158,850 44.86%
Democratic Karen Haiden Jackson54,11315.28%
Democratic Jerry Morgan Nelson, Jr.39,73411.22%
Total votes354,117 100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Debbie Tucker Corbett87,94035.65%
Democratic Carolyn Gibson 158,707 64.45%
Total votes246,647 100%

General election

2002 State Auditor of Alabama election results [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Beth Chapman 655,189 51.33%
Democratic Carolyn Gibson579,89945.43%
Libertarian Franklin Reeves41,3973.24%
Write in1,1780.009%
Total votes1,276,485 100%

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References

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  4. Smith, Dylan (June 8, 2022). "Alabama Farmers Federation endorses Stan Cooke for state auditor". Yellowhammer News . Retrieved June 10, 2022.
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