Stacey E. Pickering

Stacey Eugene Pickering (born July 12, 1968 in Laurel, Mississippi), a Republican, is the State Auditor of Mississippi, serving since 2008. He was first elected in 2007 and was re-elected in November 2011, receiving 75.6% of the vote in the general election.

Pickering is a seventh-generation Mississippian, and was raised in the Hebron community of Jones County on the family dairy farm. Pickering graduated from West Jones High School as a National 4-H scholarship winner and continued his education at Jones County Junior College. He furthered his educational career by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993.

Before serving in the State Senate, Pickering worked in the private sector as the Director of Governmental Affairs and Inside Sales Manager for Howard Technology Solutions, a division of Howard Industries in Laurel, Mississippi.

Pickering serves as a Chaplain in the Mississippi Air National Guard of the 186th Air Refueling Wing.

Pickering represented District 42 in Jones County when he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 2003. He served as chairman of the Local and Private Committee and chairman of Enrolled Bills Committee. He was named by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to the national policy task forces on Transportation and Homeland Security.

He served as co-chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Sportsman's Caucus that passed more pro-hunting legislation that any other caucus in the nation during its first year.

Pickering was elected State Auditor of Mississippi in 2007 when he defeated Democrat Mike Sumrall 55-45 in the general election. In 2011, Pickering received only third-party opposition as he defeated Reform Party candidate Ashley Norwood 76-24.

In June 2012, Pickering was honored with the National State Auditor’s Association’s “National Excellence in Accountability Award” for his work on accountability and oversight regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 2009, the Defense Department honored him with a Patriot Award from its Mississippi Committee on Employer’s Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in recognition of his extraordinary support of its employees who serve in the Mississippi National Guard and Reserve. Pickering received this same award again in May, 2013.

In 2014, Pickering received the David M. Walker Excellence in Government Performance and Accountability Award, a national award that is presented once every two years to three auditors from the public sector accountability community who represent federal, state, and local government.

Pickering serves on the Domestic Working Group for the office of the Comptroller General of the United States. He also serves on the Financial Management and Intergovernmental Affairs and Performance Audit Committees for the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT).

In 2015 it was revealed that Pickering was part of an FBI investigation into how he was spending campaign funds. Allegedly Pickering had been using campaign funds for personal use. This included a garage door at his personal residence, a BMW car that was given to his daughter, and an RV. He claims the RV was for campaigning.

2012 Presidential Campaign

Pickering served as the Chairman of Mitt Romney's Mississippi campaign during the 2012 presidential campaign.

He is married to Whitney Pickering, and lives in Laurel, Mississippi, with their four children. They are active members of First Baptist Church, Laurel, where they teach Sunday School and he serves as chairman of the deacons. The Pickerings have served as past Presidents of their children’s school PTO and volunteer for the Laurel Rogers Museum of Art. Pickering is a Mason, volunteer firefighter, member of the National Rifle Association and Sigma Nu Fraternity. He serves on the Board of the Pine Burr Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

He is a cousin of former congressman Chip Pickering, and nephew of former federal judge Charles W. Pickering.