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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 such as pension funds and volunteer fire departments. The office has been a springboard for politicians with other ambitions: U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and state attorney general candidate Eugene DePasquale have held the post. In November, progressive Democrat Malcolm Kenyatta and three third-party candidates seek to unseat the Republican incumbent, Tim DeFoor.
Further Reading: “Republicans scrutinizing automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania” (Marc Levy, Associated Press)
“Malcolm Kenyatta wins Democratic nod for auditor general, will face Tim DeFoor this fall” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Pa. Auditor General DeFoor responds to school district audit criticism” (Sam Dunklau, WESA)
Eric Anton
Eric Anton is the state coordinator for the American Solidarity Party, which he joined in 2017. ASP was first founded as the Christian Democratic Party USA in 2011. Anton did not respond to WESA's requests for interviews and does not appear to have a campaign website.
Party: American Solidarity
Place of residence: West Hanover, Dauphin County
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24):
Total raised (2024): $0
Total spent (2024): $0
WESA Candidate Survey
Anton did not reply to the WESA Candidate Survey.
Tim DeFoor
Tim DeFoor served as a public- and private-sector fraud investigator before his election in 2020 as Pennsylvania auditor general. He recently started an audit of the state’s “motor voter” registration system at DMV offices, drawing criticism from Democrats for politicizing the office in a high-profile election year — though his office says the audit is under the office’s purview. DeFoor also has pushed back against state Republican efforts to scrutinize Pennsylvania’s 2020 election results with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
Party: Republican
Place of residence: Harrisburg
Education: M.S., Harrisburg University of Science and Technology; B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Current occupation: Pennsylvania Auditor General
Related experience: Dauphin County controller (2016-2020); government fraud investigator in the state Office of Inspector General; investigative agent with the Attorney General’s Office; fraud investigator and internal auditor for UPMC.
Supporters/endorsements: Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry; firefighter/EMS union in Philadelphia; state Republican Party.
Links: Website | Linkedin
Total fundraising (reported as of 11/1/24):
Total raised (2024): $161,134.45 (plus $275,000 of in-kind contributions from Commonwealth Leaders Fund)
(2023 ending cash balance: $2,522.65)
Total spent (2024): $124,141.96
WESA Candidate Survey
The auditor general is tasked with overseeing the finances and performance of a number of government agencies and programs. Which areas under the office’s purview most need the additional scrutiny, and why?
Health care needs to be looked at closer during our second term, particularly Medicaid. Billions of dollars are invested into state Medicaid and Medicare, and we must ensure the systems are effective and efficient for Pennsylvanians. Audits need to follow the money, and if most tax dollars are going towards health care, it needs to be looked into to ensure Pennsylvania tax dollars are spent properly, efficiently, and effectively.
The previous auditor general, Eugene DePasquale, was known for expanding the office's reach into policy areas that included recommendations on topics such as gun violence and climate change. DePasquale argued there were fiscal impacts to such debates that warranted analysis, but critics accused him of trying to make policy — and headlines for himself. What's your opinion of his approach, and what considerations will guide you in determining which (non-mandatory) audits and reviews to carry out?
Advocating for non-related issues to the department cannot get in the way of audits that the department is legally required to do. When I swore in as Auditor General, the department faced a workforce shortage, and budgets were just cut. It was necessary for the department to get back to its core functions, so all that mandatory audits were done effectively and efficiently. As for non-mandatory audits, our department has an open-door policy, where anyone from the public can meet with me to discuss what they believe should be looked into, we do not look at whether that person is a Republican or Democrat.
Which report from an auditor general in the past 20 years has had the most impact on people’s lives in the Commonwealth?
This is difficult to answer. They are all impactful in my opinion.
Education spending and policy are key issues in state and local government. And while the auditor's office closed its Bureau of School Audits in 2022, it continues to perform education-related audits. What role should the office play when it comes to overseeing Pennsylvania schools?
The auditor general should play a role in financial audits of public school districts, but the School Bureau of Audits has never done that. Their role was to solidify information for the Department of Education on procedures the schools were to be following. Before disbanding the PA School Bureau of Audits, the time it took to conduct a school audit expanded to 7 years. The system was highly inefficient and didn’t work. Transferring responsibilities to the Department of Education is a better way to use tax dollars in the most effective manner.
Voters look to the auditor general's office to act as an independent watchdog, no matter which party controls the agency they are auditing. Please give an example where you took an independent stand against others in your own party.
After taking office in 2021 I was asked to start an Election Integrity Audit Bureau by Republican leadership. I refused. My response was this was requested due to unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Also, this was not a function of the Department of Auditor General.
Alan “Bob” Goodrich
Alan “Bob” Goodrich chairs the state’s Constitution Party and previously ran for Tioga County commissioner but did not win. Goodrich did not respond to WESA's requests for interviews and does not appear to have a campaign website.
Party: Constitution
Place of residence: Osceola, Tioga County
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): No reporting
WESA Candidate Survey
Goodrich did not reply to the WESA Candidate Survey.
Malcolm Kenyatta
Malcolm Kenyatta began his career as a community activist before being elected as one of the youngest state House members in 2019. Kenyatta is the first openly gay Black man in the state legislature, one of its most vocal Democrats, and has served nearly three terms. Kenyatta lost a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to John Fetterman in 2022. He has said that his low-income upbringing in Philadelphia offers a unique perspective on state government.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Philadelphia
Education: B.S., Temple University; M.S., Drexel University
Current occupation: State House representative, 181st District (2019–present)
Related experience: Serves on Finance and Commerce committees in the state House
Supporters/endorsements: Dozens of federal, state and local Democratic lawmakers, including both of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators; Gov. Josh Shapiro and Mayor Ed Gainey; statewide teachers, building trades and labor unions; and several grassroots advocacy groups in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Links: Website | X | Facebook
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/28/24):
Total raised (2024): $920,023.69 (2023 ending cash balance: $148,679.54)
Total spent (2024): $1,007,329.75
WESA Candidate Survey
The auditor general is tasked with overseeing the finances and performance of a number of government agencies and programs. Which areas under the office’s purview most need the additional scrutiny, and why?
On day one I will rebuild the Bureau of School Audits, to ensure every single one of our kids is getting the high-quality education they deserve. I will also look deeply and critically at how we enforce our labor laws by creating the first-of-its-kind Bureau of Labor and Worker Protection.
The previous auditor general, Eugene DePasquale, was known for expanding the office's reach into policy areas that included recommendations on topics such as gun violence and climate change. DePasquale argued there were fiscal impacts to such debates that warranted analysis, but critics accused him of trying to make policy — and headlines for himself. What's your opinion of his approach, and what considerations will guide you in determining which (non-mandatory) audits and reviews to carry out?
The Auditor General has a major role to play in ensuring that our government works for working and middle-class families. I think we are required to use every tool at our disposal to achieve that end, including thinking outside the box about how our money as taxpayers is being used to address or ignore the key quality of life and policy issues impacting our communities.
Which report from an auditor general in the past 20 years has had the most impact on people’s lives in the Commonwealth?
When it comes to impact on people’s lives, I think there are two major audits that we must look at, both conducted by former Democratic auditor generals. The first is Sen. Casey’s audits of Pennsylvania’s nursing homes, which looked at the quality of care as well as the fiscal practices of this critical industry. The second is former Auditor General DePasquale’s audit of the processing of rape kits, which resulted in legislative action and is a prime example of how an auditor general can work collaboratively across government.
Education spending and policy are key issues in state and local government. And while the auditor's office closed its Bureau of School Audits in 2022, it continues to perform education-related audits. What role should the office play when it comes to overseeing Pennsylvania schools?
The Bureau of School Audits conducted annual compliance audits that were completely abandoned and have only conducted two performance audits that even addressed schools. We must rebuild the Bureau of School Audits and refocus its mission to provide the oversight families deserve.
Voters look to the auditor general's office to act as an independent watchdog, no matter which party controls the agency they are auditing. Please give an example where you took an independent stand against others in your own party.
My time in Harrisburg has been punctuated by my willingness to speak truth to power regardless of party. It’s why I voted against three of Gov. Wolf’s budgets during my time in the House because I felt the final product did not reflect the needs of Pennsylvanians. I can promise every Pennsylvanian that I will show no fear or favor and I will work only to ensure they get a fair deal and a government that meets their needs.
Reece Smith
Reece Smith is a Western Pennsylvania native who says attending school board meetings inspired him to focus on politics. The Libertarian candidate says he believes the state government has wasted taxpayers’ money and wants to rein in what he sees as excessive spending.
Party: Libertarian
Place of residence: Crafton, Allegheny County
Education: B.A. in economics, Allegheny College
Current occupation: Financial service industry
Related experience: Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Smith says he held local government accountable at school board meetings while attending high school and relayed meeting actions to fellow students, and that his economics degree prepared him to conduct performance audits and understand the impacts of complex policies.
Supporters/endorsements: None provided
Links: Website | X
Total fundraising (reported as of 9/30/24):
Total raised (2024): $287.58
Total spent (2024): $287.58
WESA Candidate Survey
The auditor general is tasked with overseeing the finances and performance of a number of government agencies and programs. Which areas under the office’s purview most need the additional scrutiny, and why?
It’s hard to pick particular areas because all of the state government has been neglected. First and foremost, we need to focus on the actual state government. Digging deeper, I want to audit the governor's office and the offices of the leaders in the legislature. Politicians regularly abuse their office funds for personal and campaign expenses, so I think it’s very important we apply extra scrutiny here.
The previous auditor general, Eugene DePasquale, was known for expanding the office's reach into policy areas that included recommendations on topics such as gun violence and climate change. DePasquale argued there were fiscal impacts to such debates that warranted analysis, but critics accused him of trying to make policy — and headlines for himself. What's your opinion of his approach, and what considerations will guide you in determining which (non-mandatory) audits and reviews to carry out?
DePasquale’s behavior is typical for this office; most politicians view this as a stepping ground for future political ambitions, and therefore do not serve for the benefit of Pennsylvanians. I would not seek to create policy, but instead conduct the most thorough investigations possible and present all the evidence to the public, so they are better informed to vote for people who will create better policies.
Which report from an auditor general in the past 20 years has had the most impact on people’s lives in the Commonwealth?
Not a single report comes to mind, and that's not surprising. Since 2003, there were only four years where one party controlled the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. That means both parties are engaged in wasting and abusing our money, so we can't trust either of them to conduct genuine audits that expose corruption.
Education spending and policy are key issues in state and local government. And while the auditor's office closed its Bureau of School Audits in 2022, it continues to perform education-related audits. What role should the office play when it comes to overseeing Pennsylvania schools?
The auditor general’s office should be conducting performance reviews of the state Department of Education to ascertain whether they actually help school districts, or are a hindrance.
Voters look to the auditor general's office to act as an independent watchdog, no matter which party controls the agency they are auditing. Please give an example where you took an independent stand against others in your own party.
This question is hard to answer as a third-party member. We hold very few elected offices, so it's hard to be in a position where I can disagree with them in any way that matters. However, as a third party, I will be significantly more independent than the major party candidates, because I will not be attempting to cover up the abuse of taxpayer money that both parties engage in.
