John Dougall
John Dougall (Republican Party) (also known as Frugal) was the Utah State Auditor. He assumed office on January 7, 2013. He left office on January 6, 2025.
Dougall (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Utah's 3rd Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on June 25, 2024.
Dougall completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Prior to his election as Utah Auditor, Dougall worked as an electrical engineer and businessman. Dougall earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electric engineering and an M.B.A. from Brigham Young University.[1]
Political career
Utah Auditor (2013-2025)
Dougall was first elected state auditor of Utah on November 6, 2012, and took office on January 7, 2013. He was re-elected on November 8, 2016. Dougall left office on January 6, 2025.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Utah's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024
Utah's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)
Utah's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Utah District 3
Mike Kennedy defeated Glenn J. Wright in the general election for U.S. House Utah District 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Kennedy (R)  | 66.4 | 242,496 |
 | Glenn J. Wright (D) | 33.6 | 122,780 | |
| Total votes: 365,276 | |||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Glenn J. Wright advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 3.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 3
Mike Kennedy defeated Case Lawrence, JR Bird, Stewart O. Peay, and John Dougall in the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 3 on June 25, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Kennedy | 38.8 | 43,618 |
 | Case Lawrence | 22.1 | 24,884 | |
 | JR Bird | 15.3 | 17,207 | |
 | Stewart O. Peay | 14.2 | 15,954 | |
 | John Dougall | 9.6 | 10,800 | |
| Total votes: 112,463 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kathryn Dahlin (R)
- Tate Howell (R)
- Clayton Hunsaker (R)
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 3
Glenn J. Wright advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 3 on April 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Glenn J. Wright (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican Convention for U.S. House Utah District 3
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Mike Kennedy in round 6 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
|
Total votes: 951 |
|||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Clayton Hunsaker (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dougall in this election.
2020
See also: Utah Auditor election, 2020
General election
General election for Utah State Auditor
Incumbent John Dougall defeated Brian Fabbi and Jeffrey Ostler in the general election for Utah State Auditor on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Dougall (R) | 74.8 | 1,000,846 |
| Brian Fabbi (United Utah Party) | 13.0 | 173,644 | ||
 | Jeffrey Ostler (Constitution Party) | 12.2 | 163,872 | |
| Total votes: 1,338,362 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Utah State Auditor
Incumbent John Dougall advanced from the Republican convention for Utah State Auditor on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | John Dougall (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
- See also: Utah Auditor election, 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 | ||||
2012
Dougall ran for Utah State Auditor in 2012. He defeated incumbent Auston Johnson in the June 26 Republican primary. Dougall defeated Mark Sage (D) and Richard Proctor (C) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[2]
At the State Republican Party convention Dougall received 45 percent of delegate support to Johnson's 55 percent. Since neither candidate received the necessary 60 percent, they proceeded to a primary.[3]
| 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) | ||||
| Utah Auditor, Republican Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| John Dougall |
53.9% | 105,617 |
| Auston Johnson | 46.1% | 90,317 |
| Total Votes | 195,934 | |
Issue positions
On his campaign website, Dougall listed the following four major issue positions:[4]
- Improve Financial Audits
- Implement Performance Audits
- Increased Transparency
- Identify Opportunities for Privatization
2010
On November 2, 2010, Dougall won re-election to the Utah House of Representatives, District 27[5].
| Utah House of Representatives, District 27 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| John Dougall (R)
|
9,806 | |||
| Jenn Payne (D) | 1,706 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Dougall won re-election to the Utah House of Representatives, District 27, defeating opponent Gwyn Franson (D).[6]
Dougall raised $14,034 for his campaign while Franson raised $14,049.[7]
| Utah State House of Representatives, District 27 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| John Dougall (R)
|
11,494 | |||
| Gwyn Franson (D) | 4,907 | |||
Issues
ESG
| Environmental, social, and corporate governance |
|---|
|
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. |
As auditor, Dougall took positions in opposition to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), an approach to investing and corporate decision-making.
State financial officers, including treasurers, auditors, and controllers, are responsible for auditing other government offices, managing payroll, and overseeing pensions. In some states, certain SFOs are also responsible for investing state retirement and trust funds.
West Virginia letter supporting financial system access for fuel industry (November 2021)
Dougall was a co-signer on a November 22, 2021, letter sent by West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore (R) and addressed: “To Whom It May Concern in the U.S. Banking Industry.” The signatories were the treasurers, auditors and comptrollers from fifteen states. The letter identified them as the “fiduciaries and stewards of more than $600 billion” in combined investment capital.
The letter began: “We are writing to notify you that we will be taking collective action in response to the ongoing and growing economic boycott of traditional energy production industries by U.S. financial institutions.” The signatories wrote their individual actions would be tailored to fit each state’s unique laws and economic position, but that the coordinated objective would be “to select financial institutions that support a free market and are not engaged in harmful fossil fuel industry boycotts for our states’ financial services contracts.”[8]
“Banks and investors should focus on the potential of companies to provide increased shareholder value, rather than favoring certain partisan agendas, particularly at the expense of shareholders,” said Dougall. “Energy companies of all types should have unfettered access to capital and lending markets.”[9]
Opposition to U.S. Department of Labor ESG rules (December 2021)
In December 2021, Dougall and 35 other state financial officers and attorneys general submitted a public comment to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in opposition to a proposed rule that would encourage financial managers to consider ESG factors when selecting investments for private sector pension plans.[10]
Titled the “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights,” the rule would state that pension plan managers “can make investment decisions that reflect climate change and other environmental, social, or governance (‘ESG’) considerations, including climate-related financial risk, and choose economically targeted investments (‘ETIs’) selected, in part, for benefits apart from the investment return.”[10]
Dougall and the other officials wrote that the rule “would allow employers and investment managers to invest employee retirement savings in a way that benefits social causes and corporate goals even if it adversely affects the return to the employee” and that it would permit “proxy voting in ways that support ESG investment goals contrary to shareholder interests.”[10]
The state officials wrote that they were “opposed to investment managers and employers being encouraged or mandated to consider ESG factors and protected from legal action when they do” and that the DOL’s proposed rule “makes what should be a financial decision into a political one.”[10]
“These social agendas too often financially disenfranchise business owners and weaken management’s duty to act in the best interest of all shareholders,” said Dougall in a news release regarding the letter.[11]
Opposition to Federal Reserve Bank appointee (January 2022)
In January 2022, Dougall was one of 25 members of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) who co-signed a letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to withdraw the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Federal Reserve Bank Board of Governors.[12]
In a May 2020 New York Times commentary titled “Why Is the Fed Spending So Much Money on a Dying Industry?” Raskin wrote that Federal Reserve policy decisions should be biased against the fossil fuel industry: “The decisions the Fed makes on our behalf should build toward a stronger economy with more jobs in innovative industries — not prop up and enrich dying ones.”[13]
Dougall and the signatories on the SFOF letter wrote that they were concerned Raskin “would use the supervisory authority as Vice-Chair for Supervision at the Federal Reserve Bank to disrupt the private banking sector, reliable energy supplies, and the U.S. economy.”[12]
In March 2022, Raskin withdrew her name from consideration for the Federal Reserve position.[14]
Letter regarding use of ESG criteria by S&P Global Ratings (April 2022)
In April 2022, Dougall co-signed a letter sent “on behalf of the State of Utah” to the leadership of S&P Global Ratings, opposing the firm’s policy of publishing “ESG credit indicators as part of its credit ratings for states and state subdivisions.” The letter was organized by Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, and also co-signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), the leadership of both the Utah House and Senate, and the entire Utah Congressional delegation.[15][16]
Opposition to Morningstar ratings of Israel investments (August 2022)
In late August 2022, Dougall and 17 other members of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) co-signed a letter addressed to the Morningstar investment rating service expressing their “serious concern regarding reports that Morningstar, Inc. (Morningstar), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sustainalytics, negatively rates firms connected to Israel in apparent alignment with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.” The letter asserted the BDS movement was “antithetical to the global causes of peace, democracy, and human rights” and asked Morningstar to take corrective action immediately to terminate all research and ratings products that treat Israel-connected companies differently than companies operating in other free democracies.”[17]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Dougall completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dougall's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Dougall’s record is unmatched. His visionary leadership won real victories for tax reform, government transparency, election integrity, educational freedom, pension reform, and most importantly budget accountability. He’s hailed by the Deseret News as "possibly the most impactful auditor in Utah history."
Chaos, scandal, and division among Republicans jeopardize America’s economy and security. Rescuing the American Dream requires big, innovative ideas and serious, adult leadership, built on mainstream principles not MAGA antics. Working across the aisle, Dougall’s trustworthy voice for Utah values will deliver real results.
Using his demonstrated approach, Dougall will tackle America’s most critical problems. He’ll work to fight inflation and boost the economy, cut reckless spending and overreach, strengthen our national defense, secure the border, and fix our broken immigration system. He supports onshoring key industries, saving Social Security for future generations, and patients controlling their healthcare not candidates and special interests who defend federal government control of medicine.
Utah needs Dougall’s proven track record in Congress.
Vote Frugal!- Fiscal sanity. Rein in reckless spending. With almost $35 trillion in national debt, America's spending trajectory is unsustainable. It punishes American familes, undercuts our economy, and poses a critical national security threat. Congress has 2 key responsibilities: budgeting and oversight. It's failing at both. Budgeting and oversight are my key skills, as a legislator and auditor. I believe that the solution to our national deficit and national debt requires a combination of both cutting spending and growing the economy. Targeting wasteful spending and improving the efficiency of government programs can yield savings without cutting essential services while the government can make substantial progress in lowering the deficit.
- My Ellis Island Immigration plan rests of 2 pillars: securing the border and fixing legal immigration. Legal, hardworking immigrants helped build a strong, vibrant America. Criminal chaos weakens it. Like Ellis Island, America needs an orderly pathway for immigrants seeking lawful entry and the pursuit of the American Dream. We can have immigration policies that keep our communities safe while building a stronger, prosperous, and secure America. Fixing consists of streamlining green card applications and temporary worker programs, conducting comprehensive background checks, and requiring each immigrant to have a job or a sponsor. Border security involved completing and reinforcing the southern border wall, restricting asylum laws,
- Economic vitality and energy dominance. Capital flows where it is rewarded and flees where it is punished. America must have a tax and regulatory structure that rewards domestic investment, rather than pushing industries offshore. Right now, America is too beholden on other nations for critical industries. Unfortunately, rather than creating a welcoming economy, the Biden Administrating is trying to bribe some companies to invest domestically while imposing massive tariffs on others to supposedly protect domestic industries. We must unleash our energy sector, whether nuclear, oil, gas, geothermal, etc. to supply the world. When the U.S. supplies the world with energy resources, it promotes global security.
2. Limited government, including fighting against government overreach and excessive tax burden to empower citizens to govern themselves and to reward entrepreneurs to start businesses and grow the economy.
The Law (by Frederick Bastiat)
Economics in One Lesson (by Henry Hazlitt)
Applied Economics (by Thomas Sowell)
The Road to Serfdom (by F.A. Hayek)
1776 (by David McCullough)
The Innovator's Dilemma (by Clayton M. Christensen)
Capitalism and Freedom (by Milton Friedman)
Atlas Shrugged (by Ayn Rand)
The Count of Monte Cristo -- Compelling plot of betrayal and revenge, timeless themes like justice and redemption, historical context, and masterful storytelling. Dantès' pursuit of vengeance in the novel ultimately leaves him isolated and empty, highlighting the destructive nature of revenge. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of forgiveness and redemption.
Other talked about the challenges of legal immigration. One individual shared about his nephew who just graduated from college with an engineering degree. Unfortunately, this graduate would spend thousands of dollars and 3 years working to get a green card to work in the U.S. Clearly, this is exactly the type of legal immigrant that America should be quickly welcoming.
In addition, Congress loves budget gimmicks to hide the true cost of its spending. For example, the recent “minibus” spending bill claimed to cut the FBI and EPA when in reality the agencies were prepaid through earmarks and prior-appropriated slush fund money. Additionally, Congress knows how to game the Congressional Budget Office’s 10-year window for determining the cost of legislation. Time and time again Congress has passed legislation that appears to save money across this 10-year window, while blowing out spending in later years (years 11, 12, etc.). In addition to the cuts I spell out below, I will fight for transparency with the taxpayer, calling out Congressional leaders who use gimmicks to disguise the real costs of federal spending.
- Ensuring Accountability and Transparency: Conduct oversight of the executive branch and federal agencies, looking past good intentions to actual outcomes. The top priority is to investigate federal programs, personnel, and practices.By adhering to these principles, the House can promote good governance, transparency, and accountability.
- Protecting the Rule of Law: Investigate corruption, abuse of power, and safeguard election integrity.
- Focusing on National Security: Investigate threats and oversee intelligence activities.
- Informing Legislation: Use findings to shape effective laws and hold public hearings.
- Utilizing Subpoena Power Judiciously: Use and enforce subpoenas appropriately.
- Protecting Whistleblowers: Encourage reporting and ensure confidentiality.
- Educating the Public: Share findings and issue comprehensive public reports.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Dougall’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
“Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” You are the solution. You make America great! RESTORING THE AMERICAN DREAM
|
” |
| —John Dougall’s campaign website (2024)[19] | ||
2020
John Dougall did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
The Sutherland Institute Scorecard
The Sutherland Institute, "a conservative public policy think tank" in Utah, releases its Scorecard for Utah State Representatives and Senators once a year. The Score Card gives each legislator a score based on how they voted in the prior legislative term on specific issues which the Sutherland Institute thought were pro-conservative policies.[20]
2012
John Dougall received a score of 91 percent in the 2012 scorecard.[21]
Committee assignments
- 2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Dougall served on the following committees:
- Ethics Committee, Utah House of Representatives
- Executive Appropriations, Vice Chair
- Public Utilities and Technology Committee, Utah House of Representatives
- Revenue and Taxation Committee, Utah House of Representatives
- Subcommittee on Social Services Appropriations
- 2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Dougall served on the following committees:
- Ethics Committee, Utah House
- Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, Utah House
- Revenue and Taxation Committee, Utah House
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House Utah District 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbio - ↑ Deseret News, "Election Results" accessed November 6, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Tribune, "Johnson, Dougall to primary in auditor's race," April 21, 2012
- ↑ John Dougall for State Auditor, "On the Issues," accessed June 22, 2012
- ↑ Utah House of Representatives election results
- ↑ 2008 Election Results, Utah House of Representatives (dead link)
- ↑ 2008 Utah Election Fundraising, Candidates
- ↑ West Virginia Office of the State Treasurer, “Letter: To Whom It May Concern in the U.S. Banking Industry,” November 22, 2021
- ↑ Utah State Treasurer, “State Treasurer Marlo M. Oaks and State Auditor John Dougall join fellow state financial officers in push back against bank boycotts of traditional energy industries,” December 1, 2021”
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 State of Utah, “Comment to Department of Labor, Office of Regulations and Interpretations, from Utah and undersigned states. ATTN: Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights,” December 13, 2021
- ↑ State of Utah, “Attorney General Sean Reyes, State Treasurer Marlo Oaks and State Auditor John Dougall Lead 23 States in Letter Opposing Proposed Department of Labor Rule That Puts Retirement Savings at Risk,” December 15, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 State Financial Officers Foundation, “Letter to President Joe Biden from State Financial Officers Foundation,” January 31, 2021
- ↑ CNBC, “Republicans grill Fed nominee Raskin over past views on climate and big energy companies,” February 3, 2022
- ↑ New York Post, “Sarah Raskin withdraws Federal Reserve nomination after Joe Manchin blocks Biden pick,” March 15, 2022
- ↑ State of Utah Office of the Treasurer, “Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks Statement: Congressional Delegation, State Officials Send Letter Blasting S&P Global for Publishing ESG Credit Indicators,” April 21, 2022
- ↑ State of Utah, “State of Utah letter to S&P Global Ratings RE: ESG Credit Indicators - State of Utah. From Gov. Spencer J. Cox, et al.,” April 21, 2022
- ↑ West Virginia Office of the State Treasurer, “Letter from membership of State Financial Officers Foundation to Mr. Kunal Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, Morningstar, Inc.,” August 25, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Frugal Dougall for Congress, “Issues,” accessed March 9, 2024
- ↑ Sutherland Institute, "2012 Legislative Session," accessed March 29, 2014
- ↑ Sutherland Institute, "2012 Sutherland Institute Legislative Scorecard," accessed March 29, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Auston Johnson (R) |
Utah State Auditor 2013-2025 |
Succeeded by Tina Cannon (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Utah House of Representatives District 27 2003-2013 |
Succeeded by - |
| ||||||||||||||
