Jim Zeigler

Jim Zeigler
State Auditor of Alabama
Assumed office
2015
Governor Robert J. Bentley
Preceded by Samantha Shaw
Personal details
Political party Republican

Jim Zeigler is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Alabama. He is the current State Auditor of Alabama.

Career

Zeigler served as the president of the Student Government Association at the University of Alabama in the 1970s, where he was impeached for misconduct.[1] He won a position on the Alabama Public Service Commission in 1974, at the age of 24. He did not run for reelection in 1978.[2] He ran for state office unsuccessfully six times, three as a Democrat, and three as a Republican, losing elections for the state Board of Education in 1978, Supreme Court of Alabama in 1982, State Treasurer of Alabama in 1986, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in 1996, Public Service Commission in 1998, and State Auditor of Alabama in 2002. These close losses earned him the nickname "Mr. 49 Percent".[3][4] In 2006, Zeigler announced the end of his political activism, as he resigned from the Conservative Christians of Alabama and the League of Christian Voters, two political action committees for which he served as chairman.[4]

Zeigler ran for State Auditor in 2014. In the Republican primary, Zeigler faced Dale Peterson, candidate for Agriculture Commissioner in 2010; Adam Thompson, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Alabama Secretary of State's office; and Hobbie Sealy, former Deputy Conservation Commissioner. Zeigler won a runoff against Peterson, and defeated Miranda Joseph, the Democratic Party nominee, in the general election.[3] In 2015, Zeigler filed lawsuits against Luther Strange, the Attorney General of Alabama, and Baldwin County, Alabama schools to stop them from spending taxpayer money on political campaigns.[5] The suits were dismissed.[6]

Following the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, Zeigler advocated that parishioners take their guns to church.[7] Zeigler gave a speech to the League of the South, termed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, in September 2015.[8][9] In March 2016, Zeigler filed an ethics complaint against Robert J. Bentley, the Governor of Alabama, for allegedly using state funds in an extramarital affair.[10]

Electoral history

Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Justice Republican Primary Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Thompson 86,545 50.40
Republican Jim Zeigler 85,161 49.60
Alabama Public Service Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George Wallace Jr. 184,333 59.05
Republican Jim Zeigler 94,968 30.42
Republican (first name not given) Lyon 32,888 10.53
Alabama Auditor Republican Primary Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Zeigler 123,279 42.9
Republican Beth Chapman 82,013 28.6
Republican Pat Duncan 51,553 18.0
Republican Meredith Mayes 30,279 10.5
Alabama Auditor Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Beth Chapman 73,118 52.56
Republican Jim Zeigler 65,983 47.44
Alabama Auditor Republican Primary Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Zeigler 164,002 47.07
Republican Dale Peterson 84,828 24.35
Republican Adam Thompson 64,688 18.57
Republican Hobbie Sealy 34,910 10.02
Alabama Auditor Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Zeigler 131,637 65
Republican Dale Peterson 71,141 35
Alabama Auditor Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Zeigler 716,122 62.93
Democratic Miranda Joseph 420,843 36.98
Write-ins Write-ins 1,010 0.09

References

Political offices
Preceded by
Samantha Shaw		 State Auditor of Alabama
2015–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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