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State Auditor of Missouri

The state auditor of Missouri is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Thirty-eight individuals have occupied the office of state auditor since statehood. The incumbent is Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican.

State Auditor of Missouri
Seal of the State Auditor of Missouri
since January 9, 2023
TypeState Auditor
Term length4 years
Formation1820
First holderWilliam Christy
WebsiteMissouri State Auditor's Office Website

Election and qualification

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The state auditor serves a four-year term, and is the only state executive branch official elected in even-numbered non-presidential election years. To be eligible for the office of state auditor, a candidate must meet the same eligibility requirements prescribed for the governor.[1]

Powers and duties

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The state auditor is charged by Article IV, Section 13 of the Missouri Constitution with supervising and auditing the receipt and expenditure of public funds and prescribing appropriate systems of accounts for all public offices, be they state agencies or local governments. In relation to the aforesaid local governments, the same constitutional provisions also require the state auditor to supervise their budgeting systems.[2] In accordance with this mandate, the state auditor conducts financial and performance audits for approximately 200 state agencies, boards, and commissions, and the state's judicial branch.[3][4][5] The state auditor also audits counties, cities, school districts, and other political subdivisions at the auditor's initiative, whenever they lack an external auditor, or when requested by citizen petition.[6][7]

Missouri's state auditor is one of only four elected auditors in the United States whose core responsibilities are codified in the state constitution. The other state auditors to which this phenomenon applies are the auditors in New York, Utah, and Washington.

Recent history

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The office was temporarily held by John Watson after Tom Schweich, who was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014, died on February 26, 2015. Nicole Galloway was appointed by Governor Jay Nixon to fill the office on a permanent basis until the 2018 election, effective on April 27, 2015, and was subsequently elected to a full term.[8] Scott Fitzpatrick was elected as State Auditor in 2022, and took office on January 9, 2023.

List of State Auditors of Missouri

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# Image Name Party Term County
1 William Christy Democratic-Republican 1820–1821 St. Louis
2 William V. Rector Democratic-Republican 1821–1823 St. Louis, MO
3 Elias Barcroft Democratic-Republican 1823–1833 St. Louis
4 Henry Shurlds Democratic 1833–1835 Washington
5 Peter Garland Glover Democratic 1835–1837 Callaway
6 Hiram H. Baber Democratic 1837–1845 Cole
7 William Monroe Democratic 1845 Morgan
8 James W. McDearmon Democratic 1845–1848 St. Charles
9 George W. Miller Democratic 1848–1849 Cole
10 Wilson Brown Democratic 1849–1852 Cape Girardeau
11 Abraham Fulkerson Democratic 1852 Cole
12 William H. Buffington Democratic 1853–1861 Cole
13 W. S. Moseley Democratic 1861–1865 New Madrid
14 Alonzo Thompson Republican 1865–1869 Nodaway
15 Daniel Draper Republican 1869–1873 Montgomery
16 George Boardman Clark Democratic 1873–1875 Washington
17 Thomas Holloday Democratic 1875–1881 Madison
18 John Walker Democratic 1881–1889 Howard
19   James Monroe Seibert Democratic 1889–1901 Cape Girardeau
20 Albert Otis Allen Democratic 1901–1905 New Madrid
21 William Werner Wilder Republican 1905–1909 Ste. Genevieve
22 John Pemberton Gordon Democratic 1909–1917 Lafayette
23 George Ernst Hackman Republican 1917–1925 Warren
24 Lorenzo Dow Thompson Republican 1925–1933 Callaway
25   Forrest Smith Democratic 1933–1949 Ray
26 W. H. Holmes Democratic 1949–1953 Maries
27 Haskell Holman Democratic 1953–1971 Randolph
28   Christopher Bond Republican 1971–1973 Audrain
29   John Ashcroft Republican 1973–1975 Greene
30   George W. Lehr Democratic 1975–1977 Jackson
31 Thomas M. Keyes Democratic 1977–1978 Jackson
32 James Antonio Republican 1978–1984 Cole
33   Margaret B. Kelly Republican 1984–1999 Cole
34   Claire McCaskill Democratic 1999–2007 Jackson
35   Susan Montee Democratic 2007–2011 Buchanan
36   Tom Schweich Republican 2011–2015 St. Louis
37 John Watson Democratic 2015 Cole
38   Nicole Galloway Democratic 2015–2023 Boone
39   Scott Fitzpatrick Republican 2023–present

References

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  1. ^ "Article IV, Section 13, State of Missouri Constitution" (PDF). Office of the Missouri Secretary of State. p. 65. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Article IV, Section 13, State of Missouri Constitution" (PDF). Office of the Missouri Secretary of State. p. 65. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "29.185, Revised Statutes of Missouri". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "29.200, Revised Statutes of Missouri". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "29.236, Revised Statutes of Missouri". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "29.205, Revised Statutes of Missouri". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "29.230, Revised Statutes of Missouri". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Nixon picks Boone County treasurer for state auditor job (St, Louis Post-Dispatch article-April 15, 2015)
  • Official Manual, State of Missouri, 2005–2006.
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