Salt Lake County Auditor
Candidate Comparison

A side-by-side look at credentials, experience, and track record.

Chris Harding

Republican · Incumbent Auditor

Ali Cloward

Democrat · Private Sector

Professional Credentials

Credential	Chris Harding	Ali Cloward
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)	✓ Licensed May 2009 — 17+ years active	✗ Not a CPA
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)	✓ Certified February 2012 — 14+ years active	~ Certified May 2025 — approximately 1 year active
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)	✓ Certified May 2011 — 15+ years active	✗ Not a CFE
DoD Financial Management Certification	✓ Level II — June 2015	✗ None listed
Graduate Degree	✓ MBA — Weber State University	✓ MS Accounting — University of Utah
Undergraduate Degree	✓ BS Accounting — University of Utah	✓ BS Accounting — University of Utah
Total Professional Certifications	4 — CPA (2009), CFE (2011), CIA (2012), DoD FM II (2015)	1 — CIA only (obtained May 2025)

Experience

Category	Chris Harding	Ali Cloward
Years of Auditing Experience	✓ 20+ years	15+ years
Serving as Salt Lake County Auditor	✓ Since February 2022	✗ Never served
Government Auditing Experience	✓ IRS, U.S. Army, and local government	✗ Private sector / national firm only
Federal Auditing Experience	✓ Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Dugway Proving Ground	✗ None listed
Local Government Auditing	✓ County Auditing Experience, School District Auditing Experience, and City Auditing Experience	✗ No public sector experience listed

Yellow Book (GAGAS) Auditing & Peer Review

Category	Chris Harding	Ali Cloward
GAGAS / Yellow Book Auditing (Required by Utah statute for the SL County Auditor's Office)	✓ Conducting GAGAS-compliant audits since May 2008 — 18+ years of experience	✗ No GAGAS / Yellow Book experience listed. Private-sector auditing does not follow these standards.
Peer Review Experience (Required to validate an audit office meets professional standards)	✓ Has served as both a peer review team member and a peer review team leader on numerous peer reviews	✗ No peer review experience listed
Led Office Through External Peer Review	✓ Directed the Salt Lake County Auditor's Office through its first-ever external peer review (ALGA) — earned a "Pass" rating confirming audits are conducted correctly, independently, and to professional standards	N/A — has not held office
Understanding of Statutory Auditing Requirements	✓ Deep, hands-on understanding of Utah statute requirements governing the County Auditor's Office, including mandatory GAGAS compliance	✗ No government auditing background — would face a steep learning curve on statutory obligations

Track Record in Office

Achievement	Chris Harding	Ali Cloward
Independent Peer Review — "Pass" Rating	✓ Earned "pass" from the Association for Local Government Auditors (ALGA) — first peer review ever conducted for this office	N/A — has not held office
Audits Identifying Fraud, Waste & Abuse	✓ Numerous audits issued protecting taxpayer dollars and driving reform	N/A — has not held office
Led & Built a High-Performing Audit Team	✓ Professionalized and expanded the office since 2022	N/A — has not held office
Advocated for Stronger Auditing Standards	✓ At both county and state levels	N/A — no public record
Audit Legislation Passed	✓ Worked with the Utah Legislature in two separate sessions with bipartisan support: 2023 — HB 358 — Required the SL County Auditor's Office to conduct audits to Yellow Book (GAGAS) standards 2025 — HB 235 — Required specific professional credentials to run for SL County Auditor	✗ None listed
Utah Association of CPAs Engagement	✓ Worked with UACPA to improve office standards	✗ None listed

Community Ties

Category	Chris Harding	Ali Cloward
Salt Lake County Resident	✓ 24+ years — South Jordan, Utah	✓ Grew up here
Committed to Non-Partisan Oversight	✓ "Accountability is not political — it is professional"	Stated goal — Democratic candidate funded via ActBlue
Party Affiliation	Republican	Democrat

Paid for by Chris for Salt Lake County Auditor · Sources: chris4auditor.com and aliforauditor.com

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Chris Harding published this page 2026-06-20 11:46:58 -0600