What’s at stake:
The auditor general is the state’s top fiscal watchdog, and the office is empowered to conduct audits of both the finances and the performance of various state agencies and other public entities like pension funds and volunteer fire departments. The office has been a springboard for politicians with other ambitions: Two other candidates on the ballot this year — Senator Bob Casey and attorney general candidate Eugene DePasquale — have held the post. This time, two Democrats are vying for the right to challenge Republican incumbent Tim DeFoor this fall, and the race between them has presented a strong contrast in style and background.
Malcolm Kenyatta
The first openly gay Black member of the state legislature and one of the youngest to ever take office, Kenyatta has been a prominent voice in state politics since taking part in the three-way Democratic contest for Senate in 2022. The Philadelphia Democrat has often been an outspoken presence in House debates, occasionally trolling Republicans and rallying Democrats. While his background is not in finance, Kenyatta has said he would use the office to elevate best practices and serve as a public advocate — especially on behalf of those who need services most. He said he would approach the position like the Public Advocate position in New York City.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Philadelphia
Education: B.A., Temple University; M.S., Drexel University
Current occupation: State Representative
Related experience: Elected to the General Assembly in 2018; serves on State Government Committee (and chairs its elections subcommittee) as well as Commerce and Finance committees. Chair of President Biden’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. Ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Supporters/endorsements: American Federation of Teachers, Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council, 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
Links: Website | Facebook | X | Instagram
Total fundraising (through 4/8/24):
Total raised (2024): $108,293.19 (plus $148,679,54 from previous campaigns)
Total spent (2024): $144,795.01
WESA Candidate Survey:
The auditor general is tasked with overseeing the finances and performance of a number of government agencies and programs, ranging from state-level services to pension performance and the finances of volunteer firefighter departments. Which areas under the office’s purview most need the additional scrutiny, and what kind of questions would you ask?
I've laid out two big, big areas that we are going to modernize. The first is we're going to bring back the Bureau of School Audits. We’re no longer doing annual compliance audits of our districts, which provided critical oversight to the billion plus dollars that I've fought very hard to appropriate. The second is taking a more holistic view around how we support organized labor or how we support workers. We’re going to create a new bureau that brings all of those audits under one new bureau and one new director. And we’ll be more thoughtful about what the staff complement looks like in these departments.
To what extent, if any, should an auditor’s review of finances or performance advance a policy agenda on social concerns or other issues?
It's not a technocratic position, it's political position. This position is not appointed through the bipartisan management committee. This position is elected by the people and the people who take on this role, are inherently, political actors. It's not just about ensuring people aren't stealing from these pots of resources but it's also making sure that they are worthy investments. We want to utilize the auditing function to better understand how we can make services be more responsive and work more effectively and to ensure that when we, as the legislature in particular, are appropriating our hard earned tax dollars to something, that we are getting the bang for our buck.
Which report from an auditor general in the past 20 years has had the most impact on people’s lives in the Commonwealth?
The report around rape kits that Eugene DePasquale did. What was happening with rape kits resulted in some statutory changes as a response to that audit. I'll give you another example of the prospective audit that Eugene did around cannabis. At the time the auditor general became the first statewide elected official to support legalizing cannabis and was able to use the audit function to look prospectively at how the state could benefit, in terms of broadening tax revenues by legalizing cannabis. I think that's a prime example of what it means to have an auditor that leans forward and uses this role to its full capacity.
What in your background qualifies you to preside over an agency that audits government agencies and programs?
My time in the legislature appropriating the dollars that we're now reviewing, I think that's pretty pertinent experience. I've served on the committees that I think are deeply relevant to a lot of the things that the Auditor General looks at. The auditor general is a manager of a large team of staff. No auditor general is conducting the individual audits. You are leading a team. And so the job of the auditor General is to be a leader and to be a project manager. And I think that I've laid out a very clear vision for the office and have shown the capacity to manage and engage with complex policy issues.
In recent years, the current auditor general shut down a bureau charged with monitoring school finances, while some Republicans have called for the office to conduct audits of election results. What’s your position on those moves? And do you think there are areas where the office’s purview should be either expanded or reduced?
A huge mistake around the school audits. And I'm going to remedy that. At the height of Republican lies and fervor about the 2020 election, the current auditor general got in on that. He came before the state government committee and said his election was fair and fine but he couldn't answer and wasn't sure about the outcome of the other races. As we get closer to a general election, he may change his tune because he might not see it as electorally advantageous. But when we were in the thick of misinformation and disinformation about the election, he chose to give a squirmy, cowardly answer about a very clear election result.
Mark Pinsley
Pinsley stresses a background that includes an MBA and the fact that he currently serves as the county controller in Lehigh Valley, experience that he says relates directly to the job he now seeks. He also cites the impact of county-level audits on healthcare costs and county-level programs like Children and Youth Services. Pinsley previously ran for state House and lost, but while Kenyatta hails from staunchly Democratic Philadelphia, Pinsley touts his part in helping to shift the politics in Lehigh from red to blue — the kind of transition Democrats hope to effect in the auditor general’s office.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: South Whitehall Township
Education: B.A./B.S. Northeastern University; M.B.A. Kelley School of Business at Indiana University
Current occupation: County Controller of Lehigh County; owner, DermaMed Solutions
Related experience: Commissioner of South Whitehall Township; conducted business audits as part of previous private-sector experience
Supporters/endorsements: VoteVets, Parents Medical Rights Group, Freethought Equality
Links: Website | Facebook | X
Total fundraising (through 4/8/24):
Total raised (2024): $24,939.91 (plus an additional $102,911.07 from previous campaigns)
Total spent (2024): $75,328.88
WESA Candidate Survey:
The auditor general is tasked with overseeing the finances and performance of a number of government agencies and programs, ranging from state-level services to pension performance and the finances of volunteer firefighter departments. Which areas under the office’s purview most need the additional scrutiny, and what kind of questions would you ask?
Health care that we provide to our employees is probably number one. I previously did an audit in Lehigh County and showed significant savings. Number two is our schools. Not just taking a look at the finances of the schools, but the process procedures and performance of the schools and the economic impact of underfunding our children. And the third thing is wage theft. 30% of the employees in Pennsylvania are paid under $33,000 a year. We're talking about people not being paid overtime, being asked to clock out and then do work and then being asked to pay for certain types of clothing.
To what extent, if any, should an auditor’s review of finances or performance advance a policy agenda on social concerns or other issues?
The auditor should absolutely look at these issues. Let's use an environmental example. There's a lawsuit going on right now in Maryland where they're showing that cigarette butts, the filter part, is costing a ton of money because those filters end up in the water system. They have to be cleaned out. And there's a lot of money that gets spent on that. So yes that's a green issue , that's environmental impact. And it costs a lot of money. So I think that we should be looking at those types of issues to make sure we understand the costs. And then ultimately it's up to the public to say: Do we care?
Which report from an auditor general in the past 20 years has had the most impact on people’s lives in the Commonwealth?
Eugenia DePasquale's audit of rape kits where he was showing that the rape kits weren't being processed fast or in some cases at all. And I think he completely removed the backlog.
What in your background qualifies you to preside over an agency that audits government agencies and programs?
I'm the controller now. So that's exactly what I do. I'm the only one in this race that is already doing the job of the Auditor General. I'm just doing it at the county level. On top of that I have my MBA in finance. I have my undergraduate degree in finance. And I have managed multi-million dollar budgets in multi-billion dollar companies. But once again, the primary thing is I'm doing the role right now.
In recent years, the current auditor general shut down a bureau charged with monitoring school finances, while some Republicans have called for the office to conduct audits of election results. What’s your position on those moves? And do you think there are areas where the office’s purview should be either expanded or reduced?
School audits should be brought back under the purview of the auditor general because right now they're basically being audited by themselves. That's never a good policy. I do not believe that the Auditor General should be in charge of auditing the elections. There are outside agencies that are skilled in that and obviously it would be best if it can be nonpolitical. In some cases the state provides money for things like envelope openers for the ballot processing machines. I do think the Auditor General has an obligation to make sure that individual counties are going through the proper process in selecting those devices, i.e. are they getting three or five bids.
