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Governor Pence Announces New State Auditor

Brandon Smith

Evansville Republican Suzanne Crouch says her new job as Indiana State Auditor is the “best of all worlds.” Governor Mike Pence Monday announced Crouch will replace Dwayne Sawyer, who abruptly resigned last month.

Crouch is an eight-year veteran of the Indiana House. When she officially takes office January 2nd she will become the third state auditor in five months. Her predecessor, Dwayne Sawyer, resigned after only four months in office, citing personal and family reasons.

Governor Pence says Crouch was not a candidate for the position last time, nor did she ever approach his office about the job. But he says as a former Vanderburgh County auditor and commissioner, she is uniquely qualified for the role.

Crouch says she was surprised to get Pence’s call but that she and her husband decided this was the next step for her in public service.

“This is a unique opportunity to not only serve the entire state of Indiana but also to work with those bodies of government that I have been involved with and cherished the time I spent with them,” Crouch said. “This is an opportunity to work with state government. It’s an opportunity to work with the governor’s office. It’s an opportunity to work with the legislature and with local governments.”

State Democratic Party Chair John Zody says Pence still owes Hoosiers answers regarding of his vetting process for appointments after Sawyer’s sudden resignation. Pence says his process is continually improving but wouldn’t give specifics. 

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.