Democrat Cloward runs for Salt Lake County auditor

Ali Cloward, a Democrat, is running for Salt Lake County Auditor against Republican Chris Harding. The two-candidate race will be decided in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Cloward said on her campaign website that she grew up in Salt Lake County and wants to ensure the county gets the most out of every taxpayer dollar. She holds the Certified Internal Auditor credential and has spent more than a decade in compliance and audit roles in the private sector, according to BallotReady profile data.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: Salt Lake County Auditor
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, University of Utah, according to her campaign website; master's degree in accounting, University of Utah (2010), according to BallotReady profile data
Certification: Certified Internal Auditor, according to her campaign website
Recognition: Utah 40 Under 40 recipient, according to her campaign website

Experience and public service

Cloward is a director at Baker Tilly US, a position she has held since 2025, according to BallotReady profile data. Before that she served as Sarbanes-Oxley and Business Risk Services director at Moss Adams from 2021 to 2025. She began her compliance career as director of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance at The Cadence Group, where she worked from 2013 to 2021, according to BallotReady.

She also serves as a board member at Clean Slate Utah, according to her campaign website.

On the issues

Government efficiency: Cloward said on her campaign website that Salt Lake County "should get the most out of every dollar it spends, because every dollar saved is money back in the pockets of the people who live here." She did not detail specific audit targets or cost-saving proposals.

Government transparency and accountability: Cloward said she is committed to transparency that "puts the facts in front of people, so they can hold their government accountable," according to her campaign website. She did not outline specific transparency measures or reporting changes.