April 23, 2024
VoteMarkPinsley; Facebook/malcolmforpa; Facebook
Mark Pinsley, left, is running against Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Auditor General on Tuesday, April 23, 2023.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta is projected to win Tuesday's Democratic primary election for auditor general, the row office that serves as the state's financial watchdog. He will face incumbent Republican Tim DeFoor, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, in the November general election.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. and results will be updated below as they become available. All results are unofficial until certified by election officials.
Kenyatta, a Philadelphia native, defeated two-term Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in the Democratic primary, the Associated Press determined just after 9:30 p.m. with about 56% of the vote counted.
Kenyatta's progressive campaign has called for utilizing the auditor general office to advocate "for the underdog" in Pennsylvania. He's said he wants stronger LGBTQ rights and protections, tougher gun laws and raising the minimum wage, in addition to conducting tougher school audits. Kenyatta also said he wants to create a bureau of labor and worker protections that would focus on wage theft, employee misclassification and union busting. Kenyatta also is running for reelection to his Pennsylvania House seat in the 181st District, representing Philadelphia, and was also projected to win Tuesday's race over Democratic challengers Naderah Griffin and Lewis Nash.
In a statement Tuesday night, Kenyatta said he looks forward to debating DeFoor ahead the election in November.
"Pennsylvanians will see that my vision for this office is to serve all of them, not abandon them for the special interests of one," he said. "I am confident that when voters look at our records, they will choose me to be their next auditor general."
Pinsley campaigned on following "dark money" in Harrisburg to monitor how funds hidden from campaign finance reports are used to influence Pennsylvania politics. He also said he wants to conduct a comprehensive audit of schools, examine the effectiveness of workforce development programs and look for potential savings in the state's health care spending.
The auditor general has a four-year term and is responsible for monitoring spending on programs, analyzing inefficiencies and identifying government fraud.
