Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer Announces Campaign for Iowa State Auditor
5/6/2025“Chris is a true fiscal conservative with a strong record of improving government efficiencies and accountability. I’m proud to endorse her.” –Governor Kim Reynolds
(DES MOINES, IOWA) — Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer today announced her candidacy to seek the Republican nomination for State Auditor of Iowa, pledging to bring technology-driven solutions, a proven record of fiscal discipline, and a nonpartisan commitment to transparency and efficiency in government to the office.
“As Iowa continues to cut taxes and streamline government, the Auditor’s Office must lead by example and serve as a true watchdog for the taxpayer — not a political weapon,” said Cournoyer. “It’s time for an Auditor who prioritizes transparency, efficiency, and results over headlines and partisanship.”
Cournoyer, a former school board member and current Lt. Governor, has long championed taxpayer-friendly policies and government modernization efforts. During her tenure in the Iowa Senate, she supported every major tax cut and constitutional protection for taxpayers, including Iowa’s flat income tax, eliminating retirement income taxes, and a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority to raise income taxes. And during her tenure on the Pleasant Valley School Board, she led the charge to cut the school tax levy.
Governor Kim Reynolds added her support for Cournoyer, “For the same reasons I selected Chris Cournoyer to serve alongside me as Lieutenant Governor, I’m proud to endorse her to be Iowa’s next State Auditor. Chris is a true fiscal conservative with a strong record of improving government efficiencies and accountability. Her background in technology and her unwavering commitment to taxpayers makes her an ideal watchdog every Iowan can trust. Iowans can rest assured Chris Cournoyer will always have their best interests at heart.”
As a technology professional, including 27 years running her own technology business, Cournoyer brings a unique background to the role of State Auditor. “Technology should be a tool to root out inefficiencies, deliver timely audits, and increase transparency at all levels of government,” said Cournoyer, who chaired the Senate’s Technology Committee and currently co-chairs the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.
Cournoyer was also a key leader in Iowa’s historic government realignment initiative, which cut the number of cabinet-level agencies from 37 to 16 and centralized IT systems across departments — saving Iowa taxpayers more than $200 million to date. In addition, she championed legislation to protect the rights and privacy of Iowans.
“An Auditor should serve all Iowans — not just one party or one cause,” said Cournoyer. “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to campaign, and oversight should never be driven by political bias.”
If elected, Cournoyer plans to improve the Auditor’s role in helping local governments identify efficiencies, integrating AI into the auditing process, enhance promotion of Iowa’s transparency portal, and make the Auditor’s Office a home for recommendations emerging from the Governor’s DOGE Task Force on modernizing government operations.
“The people of Iowa deserve an Auditor who will protect their dollars, keep politics out of the office, and bring a business-minded, results-oriented approach to every audit,” said Cournoyer. “That’s exactly what I intend to deliver.”
Chris Gearhart Cournoyer is the 48th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and a former State Senator representing Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties. A computer science graduate and former senior consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), she also ran a successful web development business for over 20 years. In the Iowa Senate, she chaired the Technology Committee—authoring Iowa’s landmark data privacy law—and held leadership roles on key budget and policy committees. A longtime advocate for education and STEM, she served on her local school board, taught robotics and coding, and is a former substitute teacher. Cournoyer is also a former reserve sheriff’s deputy and the proud mother of four.
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