Mississippi State Auditor

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Mississippi State Auditor

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General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $90,000
2025 FY Budget:  $14,184,911
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Mississippi Constitution, Article V, Section 134
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White
Republican Party
Assumed office: 2018

Elections
Next election:  November 2, 2027
Last election:  November 7, 2023
Other Mississippi Executive Offices
Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Superintendent of Education •Agriculture Commissioner •Insurance Commissioner •Executive Director of Environmental Quality • Executive Director of Employment Security •Public Service Commission •Transportation Commission


TheMississippi State Auditor is a state executive position in the Mississippi state government. It has been an elected position since 1817. Prior to that there were territorial auditors.

The auditor's main role is to assess state and local governmental and other entities to ensure that public funds are properly used.[1]

Current officeholder

The current Mississippi State Auditor isShad White (R). White assumed office in 2018.

Authority

The Auditor's powers and duties are established by Article V, Section 134 of theMississippi Constitution.[2]

Article V, Section 134:

A State Treasurer and an Auditor of Public Accounts shall be elected as herein provided, who shall hold their office for the term of four (4) years, and shall possess the same qualifications as required for the Secretary of State. They shall receive such compensation as may be provided by law.

Qualifications

Article 5,Section 133 of theMississippi Constitution outline the qualifications for Secretary of State, which also apply for Auditor:[2]

... He shall be at least twenty-five years of age, a citizen of the state five years next preceding the day of his election, and he shall continue in office during the term of four years...
  • at least 25 years old
  • a resident of Mississippi for at least the five years before the day of their election[3]

Elections

Mississippi elects auditors to four-year terms during gubernatorial election years. For Mississippi, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2027 are all auditor election years.

2027

See also:Mississippi Auditor election, 2027

There are noofficial candidates yet for this election.

General election

The general election will occur on November 2, 2027.

Past elections

Expand All
2023
2019
2015


Full history

To view the electoral history dating back to 2003 for the office of Mississippi State Auditor, click [show] to expand the section.
 

2011

See also:Mississippi down ballot state executive elections, 2011
Mississippi Auditor, 2011
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngStacey PickeringIncumbent75.6%596,395
    ReformAshley Norwood24.4%192,271
Total Votes788,666
Election results viaMississippi Secretary of State

2007

Mississippi State Auditor, 2007
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngStacey Pickering63.8%399,279
    Democratic Mike Sumrall36.2%227,033
Total Votes626,312
Election results viaMississippi Secretary of State

2003

Mississippi State Auditor, 2003
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngPhil BryantIncumbent76.3%587,212
    Democratic Billy Blackburn23.7%182,292
Total Votes769,504
Election results viaMississippi Secretary of State


Vacancies

Note:Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the Mississippi State Auditor has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, pleaseemail us.

Duties

The state auditor is the head of the Department of Audit, which employs about 150 people. The mission statement of the office is as follows:[1]

"The mission of the Office of the State Auditor is to serve its customers and protect the public's trust by independently assessing state and local governmental and other entities to ensure that public funds are properly received, are legally, effectively, and efficiently spent and are accounted for and reported accurately."

Divisions

As of February 2021, the Department of Audit had four main divisions:[1]

  • The Financial and Compliance Audit Division:
"Responsible for conducting and overseeing audits of public entities." The division is split into five sections, including the Quality Assurance Division, Compliance Audit Division, State Agency Audit Division, County Audit Division, and Information Technology (IT) Audit Division.[1]
  • The Investigative Division:
"Responsible for the investigation of alleged or suspected violations of Mississippi law, including fraud and embezzlement, by public officials related to the purchase, sale or use of any supplies, services, equipment or other public property."[1]
  • The Performance Audit Division:
"Conducts programmatic and performance audits and reviews to evaluate selected operations of government, making recommendations aimed at enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and economy in government."[1]
  • The Technical Assistance Division:
"Responsible for providing accounting and compliance assistance to state and local governments. It also conducts related training and is responsible for the design of uniform accounting systems for local governments."[1]

State budget

See also:Mississippi state budget and finances

The Department of Audit's budget for fiscal year 2025 was $14,184,911.[5]

Compensation

See also:Compensation of state executive officers

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[6]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[7]

2021

In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]

2020

In 2020, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]

2019

In 2019, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]

2018

In 2018, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]

2017

In 2017, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]

2016

In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]

2015

In 2015, the auditor received a salary $90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]

2014

In 2014, the auditor was paid an estimated$90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]

2013

In 2013, the auditor was paid an estimated$90,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]

2012

In 2012, the auditor was paid an estimated$85,500, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[17]

Historical officeholders

Since 1817, Mississippi has had 42 state auditors.[18]

Click"show" for a list of officeholders.

NumberNameTook officeLeft officeParty
1John R. Girault18171821
2John Richards18211822
3Hiram G. Runnels18221830Democrat
4Thomas B.J. Hadley18301833
5John H. Mallory18331837
6A.B. Saunders18371842
7J.E. Matthews18421847
8George T. Swann18471851
9Daniel R. Russell18511855
10Madison McAfee18551859
11E.R. Burt18591861
12A.B. Dilworth18611862
13A.J. Gillespie18621865
14Thomas T. Swann18651869
15Henry Musgrove18691874
16William H. Gibbs18741876
17Sylvester Gwin18781886
18W.W. Stone18861896
19W.D. Holder18961900
20William Qualls Cole19001904
21T.M. Henry19041908
22Elias Jefferson Smith19081912
23Duncan Lafayette Thompson19121916
24Robert A. Wilson19161920
25W.J. Miller19201924
26George Dumah Riley19241928
27C.C. White19281932
28Joe S. Price19321936
29Carl N. Craig19361940
30J.M. Causey19401944
31Bert J. Barnett19441948
32Carl N. Craig19481952
33William Donelson Neal19521956
34E. Boyd Golding19561960
35William Donelson Neal19601964
36William Hampton "Hamp" King19641984
37Ray Mabus19841988Democrat
38Pete Johnson19881992
39Steven A. Patterson19921996
40Phil Bryant19962008Republican
41Stacey Pickering20082018Republican
42Shad White2018PresentRepublican

Recent news

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

Contact information

Mississippi Office of the State Auditor
P.O. Box 956
Jackson, MS 39205-0956
Phone: (601) 576-2800
Fax: (601) 576-2687
Toll Free: (800) 321-1275

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑1.01.11.21.31.41.51.6Mississippi Office of the State Auditor, "About," accessed February 2, 2021
  2. ↑2.02.1Mississippi Secretary of State, "The Constitution of the State of Mississippi," accessed February 2, 2021
  3. ↑‘’Mississippi Secretary of State, “Qualifications and fees for Mississippi candidates,” accessed February 2, 2021
  4. ↑4.04.1Associated Press, "Mississippi - Summary Vote Results," August 04, 2015
  5. ↑State of Mississippi, "Budget Bulletin Fiscal Year 2025," accessed January 21, 2025
  6. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
  7. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  8. ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  9. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed February 2, 2021
  10. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed February 2, 2021
  11. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed February 2, 2021
  12. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed February 2, 2021
  13. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed February 2, 2021
  14. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed February 2, 2021
  15. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed February 2, 2021
  16. ↑Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed February 2, 2021
  17. ↑Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed February 2, 2021
  18. ↑Mississippi Secretary of State, "Historical and Statistical Information," accessed February 2, 2021
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