State Auditor of Alabama

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.

State Auditor of Alabama
Incumbent Andrew Sorrell since January 16, 2023
Type	State Auditor
Term length	Two consecutive terms
Succession	Fifth
Website	Official website

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:

• Andrew Sorrell (R) (2023–present)
• Jim Zeigler (R) (2015–2023)
• Samantha Shaw (R) (2007–2015)
• Beth Chapman (R) (2003–2007)
• Susan Parker (D) (1999–2003)
• Pat Duncan (R) (1995–1999)
• Terry Ellis (D) (1991–1995)
• Jan Cook (D) (1983–1991)
• Bettye Frink (D) (1975–1983)
• Melba Till Allen (D) (1967–1975)
• Bettye Frink (D) (1963–1967)
• Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) (1959–1963)
• Agnes Baggett (D) (1955–1959)

2022 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Andrew Sorrell, member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 3rd district (2018–2022)^[1][2]

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

• FarmPAC^[4]

Andrew Sorrell

Organizations

• Alabama Republican Assembly^[5]

Results

Republican primary results^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Andrew Sorrell	211,773	39.46%
	Republican	Stan Cooke	175,970	32.79%
	Republican	Rusty Glover	148,872	27.74%
Total votes			536,615	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.	Date	Location	Host	Moderator	Link	Participants
P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee E  Eliminated   W  Withdrawn
						Cooke	Glover	Sorrell
1[7]	June 13, 2022	Gardendale	WYDE-FM	Becky Garretson Ray Melick	Facebook	P	E	P

Results

Republican primary runoff results^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Andrew Sorrell	205,006	57.5%
	Republican	Stan Cooke	151,815	42.5%
Total votes			356,821	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]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Andrew Sorrell	947,266	85.0%
	Libertarian	Leigh Lachine	166,760	15.0%
Total votes			1,114,026	100%

Results by county

Sorrell:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%
•   90–100%

2018 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Stan Cooke	153,578	32.60%
	Republican	Elliot Lipinksy	55,624	11.80%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	216,153	55.60%
Total votes			425,355	100%

General election

2018 State Auditor of Alabama election results^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	1,018,466	60.42%
	Democratic	Miranda Joseph	665,679	39.49%
		Write in	1,362	0.09%
Total votes			1,685,507	100%

Results by county

Zeigler:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

Joseph:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

2014 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dale Peterson	84,828	24.35%
	Republican	Hobbie Sealy	34,910	10.02%
	Republican	Adam Thompson	64,688	18.57%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	164,002	47.07%
Total votes			348,428	100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dale Peterson	3,360	41.00%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	4,886	59.00%
Total votes			8,246	100%

General election

2014 State Auditor of Alabama election results^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	716,122	62.92%
	Democratic	Miranda Joseph	420,843	36.98%
		Write in	1,010	0.10%
Total votes			1,137,975	100%

Results by county

Zeigler:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

Joseph:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

2010 State Auditor of Alabama election

2010 State Auditor of Alabama election results^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Samantha Shaw	893,229	62.65%
	Democratic	Miranda Joseph	531,233	37.26%
		Write in	1,301	0.09%
Total votes			1,425,763	100%

Results by county

Shaw:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

Joseph:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

2006 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Wes Allen	102,520	30.66%
	Republican	Chess Bedsole	69,321	20.73%
	Republican	Samantha Shaw	88,114	26.35%
	Republican	Tripp Skipper	74,436	22.26%
Total votes			334,391	100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Wes Allen	80,671	49.24%
	Republican	Samantha Shaw	83,176	50.76%
Total votes			163,847	100%

Democratic primary

Democratic Primary Results^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charley Baker	116,624	30.80%
	Democratic	Janie Baker Clarke	194,283	51.20%
	Democratic	Wayne Sowell	68,223	18.00%
Total votes			379,130	100%

General election

2006 State Auditor of Alabama election results^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Samantha Shaw	627,424	54.08%
	Democratic	Janie Baker Clarke	531,717	45.83%
		Write in	946	0.09%
Total votes			1,160,087	100%

Results by county

Shaw:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

Clarke:

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

2002 State Auditor of Alabama election

Republican primary

Republican Primary Results^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Beth Chapman	82,013	26.80%
	Republican	Pat Duncan	51,553	18.00%
	Republican	Meredith Mayes	30,279	10.50%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	123,279	42.90%
Total votes			298,642	100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Beth Chapman	73,118	52.56%
	Republican	Jim Zeigler	65,983	47.46%
Total votes			139,101	100%

Democratic primary

Democratic Primary Results^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Debbie Tucker Corbett	75,534	21.33%
	Democratic	Earl Mack "Choo-Choo" Gavin	25,886	7.31%
	Democratic	Carolyn Gibson	158,850	44.86%
	Democratic	Karen Haiden Jackson	54,113	15.28%
	Democratic	Jerry Morgan Nelson, Jr.	39,734	11.22%
Total votes			354,117	100%

Advanced to runoff

Republican Primary Runoff Results^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Debbie Tucker Corbett	87,940	35.65%
	Democratic	Carolyn Gibson	158,707	64.45%
Total votes			246,647	100%

General election

2002 State Auditor of Alabama election results^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Beth Chapman	655,189	51.33%
	Democratic	Carolyn Gibson	579,899	45.43%
	Libertarian	Franklin Reeves	41,397	3.24%
		Write in	1,178	0.009%
Total votes			1,276,485	100%

Results by county

Chapman:

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

Gibson:

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%