Press Statement  Statement of State Auditor Suzanne Bump Regarding Election Plans

I am as dedicated to my office’s mission of transparency and accountability as I was in 2011, and I am enormously proud of the continuing financial and human impact we make through our work in the Auditor’s office. And yet, I will not seek re-election next year.

With our literally award-winning team, it is hard to think about walking away after this, my third term, and harder still to make this statement. We continue to meet the highest standards of government auditing, help maintain integrity in public benefits programming, ease financial burdens for cities and towns, engage in exciting partnerships with stakeholders and lawmakers, and we have brought forward some of the best data analytics tools in government to do this. However, I want to create the opportunity for another leader who shares my commitment to making government work better and building the public trust to pursue this mission. The public deserves to choose from a wide field, and this announcement will help make that possible.

I have moved this office from falling short of government standards to being nationally recognized for its high standards. I have been committed to ensuring that we model the behavior we want from our auditees – adherence to our public service mission, effective use of our resources, and transparency in our operations. It has enhanced our ability and impact.

I do not intend to be a candidate for higher office, but I do look forward to future opportunities to advocate for and to further efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government. I am grateful to the voters of the Commonwealth for putting their faith in me and to my colleagues in government for their collaboration. This has been a thrill and an honor I never envisioned when I first walked into the State House as a legislative intern in 1978.