Mike "Show Me The Money" Burkhold Files for Comptroller General, Launching Republican Primary Campaign Focused on Transparency and Accountability

COLUMBIA, SC — Mike Burkhold today officially filed to run for South Carolina Comptroller General, entering the Republican primary with a campaign focused on transparency, accountability, and restoring discipline to the state’s financial system.

Burkhold, a successful healthcare technology entrepreneur, is running to transform the Comptroller General’s office from a passive bookkeeper into an active watchdog for taxpayers.

“The job is vitally important,” Burkhold said. “We must make sure the numbers are right and make sure the people of South Carolina can see them. Right now, neither is happening.”

Burkhold pointed to the state’s widely reported $3.5 billion accounting error as evidence that the system is not working as it should.

“That wasn’t just a mistake,” Burkhold said. “It was a warning sign. When you can’t track the money, you can’t manage the money. And when you can’t manage the money, taxpayers lose.”

As Comptroller General, Burkhold has committed to implementing an new AI technologies giving citizens real-time access to how state dollars are spent. He also plans to strengthen internal controls, modernize outdated systems, and bring private-sector discipline to state government.

“We don’t just have a transparency problem,” Burkhold said. “We have a spending problem and the only way to fix it is to turn on the lights. When people can see where the money goes, behavior changes.”

Burkhold emphasized that his campaign is about fixing a system, not building a political career.

“I’m not running to hold this seat,” Burkhold said. “I’m running to fix it. If we do this right, we will build a finance function that is transparent, accountable, and trusted. Then we should have an honest conversation about what structure best serves the state going forward.”

Drawing on his experience building a company that processes millions of healthcare transactions with precision, Burkhold said the same principles apply to government.

“This isn’t complicated,” he said. “In business, if the numbers don’t add up, you stop and fix it. In government, we’ve gotten used to looking the other way. That has to change.”

Burkhold is currently the only announced Republican candidate in the race. 

“This is about fixing and restoring trust in a broken system,” Burkhold said. “The people of South Carolina deserve a government that is disciplined, transparent, and worthy of their confidence. That starts by fixing the place where the money flows.”