New Mexico State Auditor
| New Mexico State Auditor | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $144,714 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $5,010,800 |
| Term limits: | Two consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | New Mexico Constitution, Article V, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
New Mexico State Auditor
Joseph Maestas | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other New Mexico Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Public Lands • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Superintendent • Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources • Secretary of Workforce Solutions • Public Regulation Commission • Public Education Commission | |
The New Mexico Auditor is an elected constitutional state executive officer in the New Mexico state government.
The auditor's office is responsible for examining and auditing the financial affairs of every agency each year through financial and special audits.[1]
Current officeholder
The current New Mexico State Auditor is Joseph Maestas (D). Maestas assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The office of the state auditor's authority is derived from Article V, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution.
Article V, Section 1:
| The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor,secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general and commissioner of public lands ...[2] |
Qualifications
Article V, Section 3 of the New Mexico Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:
| No person shall be eligible to any office specified in Section One, hereof, unless he be a citizen of the United States, at least thirty years of age, nor unless he shall have resided continuously in New Mexico for five years next preceding his election ...[2] |
- A U.S. citizen.
- At least 30 years of age.
- Have resided continuously in New Mexico for five years preceding the election.
Elections
New Mexico elects auditors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For New Mexico, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all auditor election years.[2]
2022
- See also: New Mexico Auditor election, 2022
General election
General election for New Mexico State Auditor
Joseph Maestas defeated Travis Sanchez in the general election for New Mexico State Auditor on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Joseph Maestas (D) | 61.9 | 399,810 | |
| Travis Sanchez (L) | 38.1 | 245,725 | ||
| Total votes: 645,535 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico State Auditor
Joseph Maestas defeated Zackary Quintero in the Democratic primary for New Mexico State Auditor on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Joseph Maestas | 57.3 | 74,701 | |
| Zackary Quintero | 42.7 | 55,732 | ||
| Total votes: 130,433 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for New Mexico State Auditor
Robert Vaillancourt advanced from the Libertarian primary for New Mexico State Auditor on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Vaillancourt (Write-in) | 100.0 | 284 |
| Total votes: 284 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: New Mexico Auditor election, 2018
General election
General election for New Mexico State Auditor
Brian S. Colón defeated incumbent Wayne Johnson in the general election for New Mexico State Auditor on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian S. Colón (D) | 57.6 | 395,714 | |
| Wayne Johnson (R) | 42.4 | 291,714 | ||
| Total votes: 687,428 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Mexico State Auditor
Brian S. Colón defeated Bill McCamley in the Democratic primary for New Mexico State Auditor on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian S. Colón | 62.5 | 100,949 | |
| Bill McCamley | 37.5 | 60,464 | ||
| Total votes: 161,413 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Mexico State Auditor
Incumbent Wayne Johnson advanced from the Republican primary for New Mexico State Auditor on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Wayne Johnson | 100.0 | 68,267 | |
| Total votes: 68,267 | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| New Mexico Auditor, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Tim Keller |
54.3% | 270,386 | |
| Republican | Robert Aragon | 45.7% | 228,019 | |
| Total Votes | 498,405 | |||
| Election results via New Mexico Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
The state auditor is limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms.
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 5 of the New Mexico Constitution. In the event of a vacancy, the governor fills the position by appointment. The appointee serves until the next general election.[2]
Duties
The state auditor is responsible for examining and auditing the financial affairs of every state agency annually. The state auditor must also examine and audit the comprehensive annual financial report for the state.[3]
Divisions
The office of the state auditor consists of the following divisions:[1][4]
- Administrative
- Financial Audit
- Compliance and Regulation
- Special Investigation
- Government Accountability Office
State budget
- See also: New Mexico state budget and finances
The budget for the office of the state auditor in Fiscal Year 2025 was $5,010,800.[5]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of state executive officers are established by the New Mexico State Legislature as mandated in the state constitution. Article V, Section 12 of the New Mexico Constitution established initial salaries for constitutional officers with the state legislature able to adjust these salaries starting in 1922, which was 10 years after the state's admission to the United States.
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $144,714, according to New Mexico Statutes.[6]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2021
In 2021, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2020
In 2020, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2019
In 2019, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2018
In 2018, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2017
In 2017, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2016
In 2016, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2015
In 2015, the auditor received a salary $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2014
In 2014, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2013
In 2013, the auditor's salary remained at $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2010
In 2010, the auditor received a salary of $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the New Mexico State Auditor has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Mexico State Auditor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
New Mexico Office of the State Auditor:
2540 Camino Edward Ortiz, Suite A
Santa Fe, NM 87507
Phone: 505-476-3800
Fax: 505-827-3512
Email: Brian.Colon@osa.state.nm.us
See also
| New Mexico | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Office of the State Auditor, "About the OSA," accessed Jan. 28, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State, "NM Constitution," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 12-6-3 (2019)," accessed Jan. 28, 2021
- ↑ The Government Accountability Office is a special office, rather than a division.
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "New Mexico General Appropriation Act of 2024," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Justia US Law, "2023 New Mexico Statutes Chapter 8 - Elected Officials Article 1 - Compensation Section 8-1-1 - Compensation of elective state officers," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States," Sept. 30, 2020
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed June 22, 2011
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
 |
State of New Mexico Santa Fe (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |