Andrea Lea
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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 former member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House has 100 members elected from an equal number of constituencies across the state. Each distr ...
from Russellville,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. 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, and was a pioneering contribution to Southern rock and progressive country. He was ...
, who did not seek reelection.


Background

She attended Russellville High School. She graduated with a
bachelor of science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in emergency administration and management from
Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is a public university in Russellville, Arkansas, United States. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. The Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus, a two-yea ...
at age 47.


Career


Early political life and state legislature

She began serving in the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2008, representing the areas of Russellville and Pottsville. The district is 68. 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 Thomas Quentin Wren, Jr., known as Tommy Wren (born August 4, 1976), is a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He served from 2011 to 2015 in the Democratic Party, representing the 62nd district in his first term and the 71st ...
, 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 conservatism in the United States, conservative state legislature (United States), state legislators and private sector representatives who draft and share Model act, ...
(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.


State Auditor

In July 2013, she began a campaign for state auditor as a Republican, stating she would look for "efficiencies." She was elected the new auditor of Arkansas in April 2014, defeating Regina Stewart Hampton and Brian Leach. She was the first Republican to serve as state auditor, replacing Democrat
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, and was a pioneering contribution to Southern rock and progressive country. He was ...
. The office of
State Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, or state examiners, among others) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, program eval ...
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 dir ...
,
legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
, 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 adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
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 (née Cooper; December 31, 1941 – July 11, 2022) was an American politician from Arkansas. A Democrat, she was the longest serving State Treasurer in Arkansas history. Early life and career Jimmie Lou Cooper was born in ...
. The second woman elected was Julia Hughes Jones. Lea is the first Republican woman elected as State Auditor in Arkansas. In 2016, after she denied using private emails for her job as auditor, texts revealed by the press showed her use of a private gmail address for official state business. She sought re-election in 2018. Winning the election, she served as auditor until 2023.


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 Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, 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 women politicians Arkansas city council members Presbyterians from Arkansas Arkansas Tech University alumni County justices of the peace in Arkansas Living people Republican Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly People from Newbury Park, California Place of birth missing (living people) Arkansas state auditors Women city councillors in Arkansas Women state legislators in Arkansas