Dougall wins state auditor's race | The Salt Lake Tribune

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John Dougall defeated Auston Johnson in the Republican primary for state auditor with all precincts reporting.

Dougall picked up 54 percent of the vote while Johnson got 46 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.

Johnson, the longtime incumbent auditor, touted his push for transparency of government activity through the creation of Internet-based collection of financial reports culled from local governments throughout the state.

That was notable because his challenger, Dougall, had taken heat for sponsoring HB477, a bill that sought to make it more difficult to obtain government documents through open-records requests. That bill was later repealed under strong public pressure.

Dougall, a state lawmaker from Highland since 2002, ran a colorful online and social media campaign while using the catch-phrase "Frugal Dougall" .

But Johnson sought to diffuse Dougall's campaign by touting his credentials as a certified public accountant — noting he has been instrumental in helping Utah keep a AAA bond rating.

David Montero