State Auditor Tera Klutz will be stepping down from office later this year, roughly one year after she was reelected, she announced today. 

Gov. Eric Holcomb will appoint a replacement to serve out the remaining three years of her term when she departs Dec. 1, enabling him to leave his mark on state government even after his own term ends next year. 

Klutz, a Republican and the state’s first certified public accountant to serve as auditor, said the decision to leave public office before her term was up was best for her family.

“I am excited about my next chapter — spending more time with family and friends, and returning to a career in the private sector,” said Klutz, the state’s chief financial officer, in a news release.

Through a spokesperson, Klutz did not disclose where she will be working. 

“The highlight of my public service career has been working with my team of dedicated public servants who provide accountable and reliable back-office functions that keep our State running efficiently and successfully,” Klutz said in the release. “My service as the State Comptroller afforded me the opportunity to travel the state and meet so many Hoosiers. I am especially grateful for the welcome and respect our local and state officials have shown me.”

In the release, Klutz said during her time in office she overhauled the state’s transparency portal and modernized the state’s payroll system. She also lobbied the state legislature this past legislative session to change her office’s public name to state comptroller to more accurately reflect its duties. 

Klutz is the fourth state auditor in a row to not finish out their term. 

She was appointed by Holcomb in 2017 to replace then-auditor Suzanne Crouch, who left the office to serve as Holcomb’s No. 2. Klutz was later elected in 2018 and won her general reelection bid by nearly 24 percentage points in November 2022, after running unopposed at the Republican convention. 

Prior to serving in state government, Klutz was the Allen County auditor, where she was named Auditor of the Year by the Indiana Auditors’ Association.

Holcomb praised Klutz for her service. 

“As the first CPA to serve in the position, Tera has been a faithful fiscal steward with a keen focus on transparency and accountability, most notably by modernizing technology,” Holcomb said in a separate news release. “Throughout her tenure, Indiana has been recognized nationally for its responsible financial reporting.”

Auditor Tera Klutz talks about staying out of politics and her plans to change the office’s name

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Header image: State Auditor Tera Klutz talks with State Affairs. (Credit: Kaitlin Lange)