She was elected state auditor on November 4, 2014, to succeed the Democratic incumbent, Charlie Daniels, who did not seek reelection.
She was the organization's co-state chairperson along with Eddie Joe Williams, also succeeding Michael Lamoureux in that role.
Cash assets and safety deposit box contents are turned over to the State Auditor's office after the institutions holding the property deem it abandoned.
"[11] In January 2019, Lea was elected as the President of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).
Its purpose is to create awareness of the importance of unclaimed property as a necessary consumer protection program.
After Lea was elected as President of this organization, she stated, "I'm honored to be chosen by my colleagues to represent our organization and work to advance our common interest...I look forward to continuing to share our successes in Arkansas across the country and advocating for increased innovation and streamlining of services.