Pennsylvania Auditor election, 2020
From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 13 min
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 19
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Sept. 28[2]
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 6 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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← 2016
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| Pennsylvania State Auditor |
|---|
 |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 18, 2020 |
| Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent(s): Eugene DePasquale (D) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Pennsylvania |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas and triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| Pennsylvania executive elections |
| Auditor |
Pennsylvania held an election for auditor general on November 3, 2020. The primary was scheduled for
June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was
February 18, 2020.
The auditor general position is one of 12 state executive offices Ballotpedia covers in Pennsylvania. To see a list of the other offices in the state, click here. This page covers the following:
- Coronavirus and the 2020 election
- Candidates and election results
- Context of the 2020 election
- Primary elections
- About the office of the auditor general
- Past elections
- Pennsylvania state profile
Timothy DeFoor won election in the general election for Pennsylvania Auditor General.
Election procedure changes in 2020[edit]
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Pennsylvania modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: The mail-in ballot receipt deadline for the general election was extended to November 6, 2020. Drop boxes were made available to return ballots. The state provided prepaid return postage for all mail-in and absentee ballots.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results[edit]
General election candidates
- Nina Ahmad (Democratic Party)
- Timothy DeFoor (Republican Party) ✔
- Olivia Faison (Green Party)
- Jennifer Moore (Libertarian Party)
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Republican primary candidates
Campaign finance[edit]
The tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.
Context of the 2020 election[edit]
Incumbent[edit]
There is no incumbent on the ballot in the race. The current officeholder, Eugene DePasquale (D), was unable to run for re-election due to term limits.
Party control in Pennsylvania[edit]
After the 2018 election cycle, Pennsylvania remained under divided government. Divided governmental control began in 2015.
When one party controls the three vital centers of state political power—the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate —Ballotpedia considers that party to control a "trifecta." Trifectas make it easier for the dominant party to pursue its agenda, and more difficult for opposition parties to challenge it.
In Pennsylvania, Republicans held trifecta control of state government from 1995 to 2002 and again from 2011 to 2014. Democrats held trifecta control in 1993. In all other years from 1992 to 2017, control of state government was divided.
Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2022
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Primary elections (June 2, 2020)[edit]
One candidate, Timothy DeFoor, is running unopposed in the Republican primary. There are six candidates on the ballot in the Democratic primary. The following is an overview of the contested Democratic primary.
Candidates[edit]
On the ballot in the Democratic primary are: Nina Ahmad, former deputy mayor of community engagement in Philadelphia; state Representative H. Scott Conklin; Rosie Davis, Vice-Chairman of the Smithfield Township Board of Auditors; Tracie Fountain, former audit bureau director in the office of the Pennsylvania Auditor General; management and fundraising consultant Christina Hartman; and current Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb.
Campaign media[edit]
Media coverage of the Democratic primary election has portrayed the race as close due to its crowded field, but media attention has focused primarily on Ahmad, Lamb, and Fountain. Ahmad and Lamb were in the lead in campaign fundraising and expenditures going into the primary, whereas Fountain campaigned on her experience working in the office of the Pennsylvania Auditor General for 29 years.[3][4][5]
Campaign themes[edit]
Below are the Democratic candidates' top three priorities for the office, as submitted to Centre Daily Times by the League of Women Voters:
- Nina Ahmad: "Health care, education and violence. These are all informed by the theme of my campaign which is accountability and transparency and the understanding that the taxpayers end up paying more if we ignore the problems that perpetuate inequality and injustice. I will take on Big Pharma to lower costs on lifesaving medicines with a focus on pharmacy benefits manager to increase efficiencies. I will protect and increase education funding to make sure our students have the best education in safe and healthy environments. I will focus on ending violence including sexual harassment/violence, advocate to end nondisclosure settlements as well as address gun violence by giving lawmakers the data to fight the NRA and pass tough new gun laws."
- H. Scott Conklin: "I have always thought of myself as a hard working voice for all people, and have served with the trust of those I represent in Harrisburg. Now, I believe it is time to use my voice for all Pennsylvanians by holding our government accountable. If you believe, as I do, that our government needs to be held accountable for its spending, that our government must have an advocate for taxpayers, and that our government must work for all Pennsylvanians, then please consider supporting this campaign. Only through building a strong coalition of voters across the state, can we hope to secure these goals."
- Rosie Davis: "1). The top priority is to save the Pennsylvania taxpayers roughly $600,000 of extra salary cost because as the next auditor general, there will be no need to hire another CPA to direct the audit team because I have the direct CPA experience to handle the technical job. 2). Addressing public school district funding inequality. I plan to review public school district funding from a top down approach. 3). A significant portion of state taxpayer sponsored programs and services are outsourced to third-party contractors who provide substandard and inadequate services. I will conduct more performance and effectiveness audits of third-party contracts. Like: The share ride program for elderly and vulnerable citizens is on top of the list."
- Tracie Fountain: "1). Addressing the impact of significant staff shortages, as a result of continual legislative budget cuts, on the department’s ability to properly and timely complete 5,000 mandated audits annually. At the time of my hire, the department had 850 employees statewide and was down to 392 at Nov. 1, 2019, while still being responsible for the completion of 5,000 audits annually. 2). Preventing the fraudulent use of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 economic stimulus funds and small business loans proceeds by helping to ensure that these funds are properly awarded to Pennsylvania’s intended recipients. 3). Protecting the lives of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens — our children, our elderly and mentally challenged."
- Christina Hartman: "My priorities are education, health care and criminal justice reform. Education audits account for a third of this office’s work. I will evaluate the discrepancy between the standards and funding for public schools and charter schools, which are often held to lower standards, harming our students on the taxpayers’ dime. Health care costs continue to rise, especially for seniors. I will look at rising drug costs and nursing home treatment of seniors to ensure that Medicare/Medicaid dollars are spent well for our most vulnerable. For criminal justice, I will examine inefficiencies created by focusing on punishment over rehabilitation leading to high recidivism rates, a truly inefficient and ineffective use of our tax dollars."
- Michael Lamb: "The auditor general is our first line of defense against public corruption. I plan to address that in part by bringing unprecedented levels of transparency to the commonwealth. I have developed several tools of transparency for greater public engagement into the issues of public finance. I plan to bring those tools to the commonwealth. During time of crisis it is important to recognize that some will see an opportunity for fraud. I have developed a plan to address these concerns including testing for price gouging, addressing misinformation, protecting whistleblowers and monitoring stimulus spending. Pennsylvania’s largest cost is education. I plan to devote significant resources to hold accountable our charter schools and all institutions of learning."[6]
Campaign finance[edit]
After the conclusion of the fundraising cycle ending on May 18, 2020, Ahmad led in campaign contributions and expenditures with $428,418.25 contributed and $469,187.03 spent. Lamb was second with $158,084.00 contributed and $82,814.33 spent, though he was the only candidate of the six who had not filed a campaign report for the March 10 - May 18 cycle and so his fundraising numbers may have been higher in actuality. Hartman was third with $69,672.77 in contributions and $69,156.11 in expenditures. Conklin, Davis, and Fountain had raised $13,785.00, $5,033.45, and $9,139.50, respectively.[7]
About the office of the auditor general[edit]
Current officeholder[edit]
The current officeholder is Eugene DePasquale (D). He was elected in 2012 and sworn in on January 15, 2013. He won re-election in 2016.[8] Officeholders may serve up to two four-year terms and are compensated with an annual base salary of $167,838.[9]
Authority[edit]
Though the state constitution does not specifically create the office of auditor general, it does allow for the addition of public officers in Article IV, Section 1:
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All officers, whose selection is not provided for in this Constitution, shall be elected or appointed as may be directed by law.[10] |
Given this authority, the Pennsylvania General Assembly created the office of auditor general in 1809.[11]
Duties[edit]
The principal role of the auditor general is to "determine whether state funds are being used in accordance with the purpose and guidelines that govern each use of the Commonwealth's dollars."[12] The auditor general conducts financial and performance audits of individuals, state agencies, and organization that receive state funds, including school districts, state liquor stores, and public employee pensions. These audits are designed to measure how effectively government programs are using public money to meet their stated goals and objectives. The office performs more than 6,000 audits each year, and is responsible for auditing all federal funds that are allocated to Pennsylvania state programs.[11]
Past elections[edit]
2016[edit]
- See also: Pennsylvania Auditor election, 2016
The general election for auditor general was held on November 8, 2016.
Incumbent Eugene DePasquale defeated John A. Brown, John Sweeney, and Roy Minet in the Pennsylvania auditor election.
| Pennsylvania Auditor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Eugene DePasquale Incumbent |
50.01% | 2,958,818 | |
| Republican | John A. Brown | 45.08% | 2,667,318 | |
| Green | John Sweeney | 2.69% | 158,942 | |
| Libertarian | Roy Minet | 2.23% | 131,853 | |
| Total Votes | 5,916,931 | |||
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State | ||||
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2012Incumbent Jack Wagner (D) was prevented by term limits from seeking re-election. Eugene DePasquale (D) defeated fellow state Rep. John Maher (R), along with third party candidate Betsy Summers, in the general election on November 6, 2012.[13]
2008On November 4, 2008, Jack Wagner won re-election to the office of Pennsylvania Auditor General. He defeated Chet Beiler (R) and Betsy Summers (L) in the general election.
2004On November 2, 2004, Jack Wagner won election to the office of Pennsylvania Auditor General. He defeated Joe Peters (R) and three third-party candidates in the general election.
2000On November 7, 2000, Bob Casey won re-election to the office of Pennsylvania Auditor General. He defeated Katie True (R) and four third-party candidates in the general election.
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State profile[edit]
| Demographic data for Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 12,791,904 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 44,743 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 81.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,599 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern[edit]
Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Pennsylvania, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[14]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Pennsylvania had one Retained Pivot County and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 0.55 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Pennsylvania coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Pennsylvania
- United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
- Public policy in Pennsylvania
- Influencers in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania fact checks
- More...
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ In Pennsylvania, in-person mail-in voting is available (i.e., a voter can visit a county election office, obtain a mail-in ballot, and return it).
- ↑ In Pennsylvania, in-person mail-in voting is available (i.e., a voter can visit a county election office, obtain a mail-in ballot, and return it).
- ↑ Pittsburgh's Action News 4, "6 Democrats vying for auditor general nomination in Pennsylvania," May 5, 2020
- ↑ PennLive, "Pa. auditor general spot drawing much interest among Democrats," May 24, 2020
- ↑ Local 21 News, "Large voter turnout expected for PA primary in pandemic," May 20, 2020
- ↑ Centre Daily Times, "Meet the candidates for state office on the ballot in Pennsylvania’s primary election," May 17, 2020
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Online Reporting," accessed May 26, 2020
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "Auditor General Eugene DePasquale," accessed November 18, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcdt - ↑ "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," accessed January 17, 2018
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "About the department," November 5, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "Frequently asked questions," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Philadelphia Inquirer, "Election Results 2012," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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