Andrea Christine Lea (born 1957) is an American politician who served as the

Arkansas State Auditor The Arkansas State Auditor (formally known as the Auditor of State) is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Thirty-five individuals have occupied the office of state auditor since statehood. The incu ...

and is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

former member of the

Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...

from Russellville,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. She was elected state auditor on November 4, 2014, to succeed the Democratic incumbent,

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The Dev ...

, who did not seek reelection.

Background

Early political life and state legislature

Lea was unopposed for a second House term in 2010. In 2012, Lea was switched to House District 71 and again ran without opposition. The previous representative, Democrat Tommy Wren, was transferred to District 62. Lea was a member of the

American Legislative Exchange Council The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives who draft and share model legislation for distribution among state governments in the United State ...

(ALEC). The purpose of this council is to promote sample legislation written by corporations. She was the organization's co-state chairperson along with

Eddie Joe Williams Eddie Joe Williams (born June 26, 1954) is an American politician who served as a member of the Arkansas Senate for the 29th district from 2011 to 2017. During his tenure in the Senate, Williams served as majority leader. Early life Williams w ...

, also succeeding Michael Lamoureux in that role.

Legislation

State Auditor

The office of

State Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

is one of Arkansas' seven constitutional offices. The State Auditor is the general accountant for the state and is also in charge of the payroll for the

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

, and

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...

branches. The office is also in charge of the state's unclaimed property program. The office has existed since Arkansas was made a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

territory in 1819. Its duties have changed very little since its inception. Lea is the third woman elected to the office of State Auditor. The first woman elected was

Jimmie Lou Fisher Jimmie Lou Fisher (December 31, 1941 – July 11, 2022) was an American politician who was the longest serving Arkansas State Treasurer in Arkansas history. Early life and career Fisher was born in Delight, Arkansas on December 31, 1941, the ...

. The second woman elected was Julia Hughes Jones. Lea is the first Republican woman elected as State Auditor in Arkansas.

The Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt

The State Auditor's office in Arkansas is in charge of an unclaimed property program. This program is referred to as The Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. The purpose of this program is to return lost money to their rightful owners. Cash assets and safety deposit box contents are turned over to the State Auditor's office after the institutions holding the property deem it abandoned. According to Lea, in Arkansas, there is $317,000,000 in the unclaimed property as of 2017. She stated that "Reuniting Arkansans with their money is something I take very seriously...We now estimate that 1 in 4 Arkansans has cash to claim in the Treasure Hunt. If you've searched in the past, it's time to search again!"

Election as President of NAUPA

In January 2019, Lea was elected as the President of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This organization is associated with the Association of State Auditors. Its purpose is to create awareness of the importance of unclaimed property as a necessary consumer protection program. Its members represent all fifty states, the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and all of the United States' territories. After Lea was elected as President of this organization, she stated, "I'm honored to be chosen by my colleagues to represent our organization and work to advance our common interest...I look forward to continuing to share our successes in Arkansas across the country and advocating for increased innovation and streamlining of services. It's a win for businesses, and a win for consumers."

Electoral history

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lea, Andrea 1957 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Arkansas city council members American Presbyterians Arkansas Tech University alumni County justices of the peace in Arkansas Living people Republican Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives People from Newbury Park, California Place of birth missing (living people) State Auditors of Arkansas Women city councillors in Arkansas Women state legislators in Arkansas