Minnesota state auditor race: 4 questions, answered 

With concerns about fraud and fears of a budget deficit looming over Minnesota's elections, control of the state auditor's office could influence anti-fraud and budget efforts at the local level, no matter who sits in the governor's office.

Here’s a quick look at the race.

1) What does the state auditor do?

The Office of the State Auditor oversees more than $56 billion in local government finances. This includes funding for cities, counties, school districts and other local jurisdictions.

The office audits local government financial data to investigate allegations of theft, embezzlement or unlawful use of public funds. It does not have the authority to review financial affairs of state offices or agencies, which is the responsibility of the legislative auditor.

Former Minnesota Govs. Arne Carlson and Mark Dayton both served as state auditor before becoming the state’s top elected official.

2) Who is running?

DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha is stepping down after two terms. There's a three-way race to succeed her: Forward Independence candidate Jay Reeves, former GOP state Sen. Scott Jensen and DFLer and former Duluth City Council member Zack Filipovich.

Reeves is an Army veteran who worked as a data analyst in military and civilian health services. He has a degree in health informatics, data analytics and data visualization from the University of Minnesota.

Jensen, a family doctor, ran for governor in 2022 against Tim Walz, losing by 7 percentage points. He won the GOP's nomination for state auditor in August, beating out Braham Mayor Nate George and Will Finn, who ran for the office in 2022 under the Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party.

Filipovich ran in an uncontested DFL primary. He's been touting his credentials as the only accountant in the race.

3) What are they saying?

All three candidates are focused on protections against fraud and waste, but they differ in their approaches.

Reeves wants the office to be more proactive in identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to fraud. He says the office should use technology to detect fraud quickly.

"I did it for the military for 17 years," Reeves said at a debate hosted by WCCO. "I brought in data analytics programs on a worldwide basis."

Jensen is relying on his government and business experience to show that he has the chops to lead an office that oversees finances in 4,300 units of local government. He says his experience will help him build a team to fight fraud, waste and abuse while spotlighting the impact of state mandates on local government finances.

"This is not about hiring a single individual who is going to have the secret sauce to making it go away," Jensen said in a debate hosted by KSTP. "This is about leadership, building a team and calling out people when they don't do their job."

Filipovich is focused on providing local governments with financial resources to address a projected shortage of accountants in the state. He wants to visit all 87 Minnesota counties to connect with local leaders and find out how the office can provide local governments with resources and training.

"These are the dollars that pay for schools and police and public safety and public parks," Filipovich said in the same debate. "We need to get that right."

Filipovich and Reeves also support more transparency in the auditor's office. Reeves wants to update the office's website so data is easily accessible to all. Filipovich wants to have more open houses and forums with people across the state.

Republicans haven't won a statewide election in Minnesota since Tim Pawlenty was reelected governor in 2006. Four years ago, Republican Ryan Wilson came within half a percentage point, 8,435 votes, of beating Blaha.

In a recent KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, Filipovich led Jensen by 1 percentage point, with 14 percent of voters still undecided, marking a change from Jensen's 7-point lead in a poll from September.

About 5 percent of those surveyed said they planned on voting for Reeves in the election.

4) Where can I learn more?

MPR News has a voter guide, where you can read candidates' responses to our questionnaire and find links to their campaign websites.

Minnesota PBS held a debate between the three candidates in August after the primary. Filipovich and Jensen debated on KSTP in October.

MPR News reporter Peter Cox contributed reporting to this story.

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