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Deutsch2022 Minnesota State Auditor election
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    Blaha: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Wilson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 2022 Minnesota State Auditor election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the state auditor of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Incumbent DFLer Julie Blaha narrowly won re-election to a second term.
Blaha was challenged by Republican candidate Ryan Wilson, Grassroot-Legalize Cannabis Party candidate Will Finn, and Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Tim Davis.[1]
This election was the second-closest for Minnesota State Auditor ever, after 1934.[2]
Background[edit]
In Minnesota, the state auditor is charged with supervising and auditing the finances of the state's approximately 4,800 local governments, which altogether tax and spend over $40 billion annually.[3] Likewise, the state auditor performs under contract the annual single audit of nearly $26 billion in federal funds spent by state agencies and their subrecipients.[4] The state auditor's authority transcends jurisdictions and applies to all local governments, be they counties, cities, towns, school districts, local pension funds, metropolitan and regional agencies, or myriad special purpose districts, and to every state agency that receives federal financial assistance.[5]
Nature of the office[edit]
Since the elected constitutional office of state treasurer was eliminated in 2003, and despite the office's importance, the election for state auditor has been considered Minnesota's most "low-key" statewide race.[6] Auditor races are obscure enough to earn headlines when a "real issue" emerges.[7] Other analyses suggest that the auditor's office, which has lost half its staff since the 1990s, is Minnesota's "most overlooked and underfunded statewide office."[8]
Synopsis of incumbent's tenure[edit]
In 2018, Julie Blaha, then secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL–CIO, was elected to replace retiring fellow DFLer Rebecca Otto who unsuccessfully sought the DFL nomination for governor. As state auditor, Blaha was involved in uncovering and investigating a handful of public finance scandals, including an embezzlement scandal in Canton and Whalan and a conflict-of-interest case concerning the mayor of Two Harbors.[9][10] Auditor Blaha was also publicly critical of Minnesota's civil asset forfeiture laws, arguing they were needlessly punitive for low-income suspects. She led a push to reform the laws which was ultimately successful in 2021.[11]
Candidates[edit]
The primary for State Auditor was uncontested.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party[edit]
Julie Blaha, incumbent State Auditor and former secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL–CIO, announced her intention to run for election in November 2021.[12] She won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsement unanimously at the party convention in May 2022.[13]
Nominee[edit]
- Julie Blaha, incumbent State Auditor[12]
Republican Party[edit]
Ryan Wilson, an attorney and former founder and CEO of a Minnesota-based clinical trial auditing firm, announced his candidacy in February 2022.[14] Wilson, of Maple Grove, sought and received the endorsement of the Republican Party of Minnesota in May at the party's state convention.[15]
Nominee[edit]
- Ryan Wilson, attorney, former CEO of Symbios Clinical[14]
Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party[edit]
Kevin Finander, who appeared on ballots under the name Will Finn, was the nominee for the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party. A self-described Libertarian, Finander was the chair of the Minnesota Taxation is Theft political action committee and a member of the South St. Paul library board.[16]
Nominee[edit]
- Will Finn, Libertarian, member of the South St. Paul library board[16]
Legal Marijuana Now Party[edit]
Longtime activist and Legal Marijuana Now Party chairman Tim Davis was his party's nominee in 2022. In an interview, Davis acknowledged that Auditor Blaha supported legalizing marijuana, but was committed to running nonetheless, arguing "[DFLers] haven’t gotten anything done. We will be running. If we can get candidates, we will run.”[17]
Nominee[edit]
General election[edit]
Campaign issues[edit]
Feeding Our Future[edit]
Feeding Our Future, a now-dissolved Minnesota nonprofit, defrauded the state's USDA-funded school nutrition programs of at least $250 million over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.[19][20] On September 20, 2022, the U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced federal charges against 47 former Feeding Our Future employees for their involvement in the nation's largest pandemic-related fraud scheme.[21] Republican nominee Ryan Wilson argued that DFL incumbent Auditor Julie Blaha could have minimized the fraud scheme's damage if her office had notified the federal authorities sooner of Feeding Our Future's internal control discrepancies.[22] Auditor Blaha contended that her office is primarily designed for auditing local governments in Minnesota and that her office had submitted a report to the Minnesota Department of Education which noted that Feeding Our Future had not complied with standard auditing practice.[23]
ESG investing[edit]
The Minnesota State Auditor is a member of the State Board of Investment (SBI), which oversees the state's $130 billion investment portfolio.[7] As auditor, Julie Blaha had argued that the state should shift its investing strategies to meet so-called environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) guidelines.[7] Blaha had argued that the state is a "long-term investor" that must focus on the potential long-term impacts of climate change and social inequities to maintain a stable investment portfolio.[24] Wilson had argued that ESG investment is inherently political and that SBI should prioritize return on investment as a fiduciary over other public policy considerations, arguing Blaha was looking to "play politics" with state pensions.[24][25]
Polling[edit]
- Graphical summary
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Julie Blaha (DFL) | Ryan Wilson (R) | Others | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[A] | Oct. 26 – 30, 2022 | 836 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 39% | 44% | 3%[b] | 14% |
| Trafalgar Group (R)[B] | Oct. 17 – 19, 2022 | 1,091 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 40.4% | 44.1% | 6.0%[c] | 9.5% |
| Embold Research | Oct. 10 – 14, 2022 | 1,585 (LV) | ± 2.6% | 40.4% | 39.8% | 6.1%[d] | 13.7%[e] |
| SurveyUSA | Sep. 30 – Oct. 3, 2022 | 604 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 41% | 38% | 3% | 18% |
| Trafalgar Group (R)[C] | Sep. 14, 2022 | 1,079 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 41.2% | 42.3% | 5.7%[f] | 10.8% |
| SurveyUSA | Aug. 30 – Sep. 4, 2022 | 562 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 38% | 37% | 3% | 23% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Julie Blaha (incumbent) | 1,168,185 | 47.47% | -1.88% | |
| Republican | Ryan Wilson | 1,159,750 | 47.13% | +3.90% | |
| Legal Marijuana Now | Tim Davis | 87,386 | 3.55% | -1.73% | |
| Grassroots—LC | Will Finn | 44,270 | 1.80% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 1,341 | 0.05% | +0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 2,460,932 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | |||||
Results by county[edit]
| County | Julie Blaha DFL | Ryan Wilson GOP | Tim Davis LMN | Will Finn GLC | Write-in | Margin | Total votes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | ||
| Aitkin | 32.31% | 2,685 | 62.93% | 5,229 | 3.26% | 271 | 1.48% | 123 | 0.01% | 1 | -30.62% | -2,544 | 8,309 |
| Anoka | 42.15% | 64,825 | 51.21% | 78,758 | 4.64% | 7,133 | 1.94% | 2,988 | 0.05% | 80 | -9.06% | -13,933 | 153,784 |
| Becker | 30.41% | 4,435 | 64.80% | 9,450 | 3.28% | 479 | 1.47% | 215 | 0.03% | 5 | -34.39% | -5,015 | 14,584 |
| Beltrami | 40.95% | 7,306 | 52.92% | 9,442 | 4.02% | 717 | 2.09% | 372 | 0.02% | 4 | -11.97% | -2,136 | 17,841 |
| Benton | 28.89% | 4,652 | 65.09% | 10,480 | 3.97% | 640 | 1.99% | 321 | 0.06% | 9 | -36.19% | -5,828 | 16,102 |
| Big Stone | 33.07% | 792 | 62.13% | 1,488 | 3.59% | 86 | 1.13% | 27 | 0.08% | 2 | -29.06% | -696 | 2,395 |
| Blue Earth | 46.81% | 12,192 | 47.54% | 12,382 | 3.97% | 1,034 | 1.67% | 434 | 0.02% | 5 | -0.73% | -190 | 26,047 |
| Brown | 28.81% | 3,306 | 66.97% | 7,686 | 2.77% | 318 | 1.39% | 159 | 0.06% | 7 | -38.17% | -4,380 | 11,476 |
| Carlton | 46.01% | 7,188 | 47.55% | 7,429 | 4.08% | 637 | 2.25% | 352 | 0.10% | 16 | -1.54% | -241 | 15,622 |
| Carver | 40.25% | 21,247 | 55.00% | 29,036 | 3.06% | 1,614 | 1.66% | 876 | 0.03% | 18 | -14.75% | -7,789 | 52,791 |
| Cass | 29.85% | 4,492 | 65.11% | 9,799 | 2.94% | 443 | 2.07% | 311 | 0.04% | 6 | -35.26% | -5,307 | 15,051 |
| Chippewa | 31.10% | 1,521 | 64.44% | 3,152 | 3.13% | 153 | 1.29% | 63 | 0.04% | 2 | -33.35% | -1,631 | 4,891 |
| Chisago | 31.83% | 8,114 | 61.67% | 15,720 | 4.45% | 1,134 | 2.00% | 510 | 0.04% | 11 | -29.84% | -7,606 | 25,489 |
| Clay | 47.58% | 10,204 | 46.60% | 9,995 | 3.95% | 848 | 1.75% | 376 | 0.12% | 25 | 0.97% | 209 | 21,448 |
| Clearwater | 23.59% | 829 | 71.97% | 2,529 | 3.02% | 106 | 1.42% | 50 | 0.00% | 0 | -48.38% | -1,700 | 3,514 |
| Cook | 64.10% | 2,048 | 31.77% | 1,015 | 2.47% | 79 | 1.63% | 52 | 0.03% | 1 | 32.33% | 1,033 | 3,195 |
| Cottonwood | 26.09% | 1,190 | 68.95% | 3,145 | 3.31% | 151 | 1.53% | 70 | 0.11% | 5 | -42.86% | -1,955 | 4,561 |
| Crow Wing | 31.24% | 10,042 | 63.37% | 20,367 | 3.78% | 1,216 | 1.58% | 508 | 0.02% | 7 | -32.13% | -10,325 | 32,140 |
| Dakota | 50.26% | 99,090 | 44.70% | 88,141 | 3.43% | 6,758 | 1.52% | 2,992 | 0.09% | 187 | 5.55% | 10,949 | 197,168 |
| Dodge | 31.12% | 2,884 | 64.64% | 5,991 | 2.51% | 233 | 1.68% | 156 | 0.04% | 4 | -33.52% | -3,107 | 9,268 |
| Douglas | 29.09% | 5,642 | 67.18% | 13,030 | 2.65% | 514 | 1.05% | 204 | 0.04% | 7 | -38.09% | -7,388 | 19,397 |
| Faribault | 28.61% | 1,700 | 66.87% | 3,974 | 2.98% | 177 | 1.50% | 89 | 0.05% | 3 | -38.26% | -2,274 | 5,943 |
| Fillmore | 35.11% | 3,285 | 60.07% | 5,621 | 3.14% | 294 | 1.60% | 150 | 0.07% | 7 | -24.97% | -2,336 | 9,357 |
| Freeborn | 36.31% | 4,643 | 58.27% | 7,451 | 3.70% | 473 | 1.70% | 217 | 0.02% | 3 | -21.96% | -2,808 | 12,787 |
| Goodhue | 37.94% | 8,610 | 57.27% | 12,995 | 3.03% | 688 | 1.73% | 392 | 0.03% | 7 | -19.32% | -4,385 | 22,692 |
| Grant | 33.81% | 983 | 60.68% | 1,764 | 3.72% | 108 | 1.69% | 49 | 0.10% | 3 | -26.87% | -781 | 2,907 |
| Hennepin | 64.66% | 363,204 | 30.27% | 170,033 | 3.28% | 18,436 | 1.73% | 9,719 | 0.06% | 331 | 34.39% | 193,171 | 561,723 |
| Houston | 38.46% | 3,333 | 57.02% | 4,941 | 3.28% | 284 | 1.23% | 107 | 0.01% | 1 | -18.56% | -1,608 | 8,666 |
| Hubbard | 32.00% | 3,373 | 63.44% | 6,686 | 2.90% | 306 | 1.60% | 169 | 0.05% | 5 | -31.44% | -3,313 | 10,539 |
| Isanti | 27.21% | 5,040 | 65.49% | 12,129 | 4.70% | 871 | 2.53% | 469 | 0.06% | 11 | -38.28% | -7,089 | 18,520 |
| Itasca | 39.25% | 8,252 | 55.08% | 11,580 | 3.85% | 810 | 1.77% | 372 | 0.04% | 9 | -15.83% | -3,328 | 21,023 |
| Jackson | 27.22% | 1,226 | 68.18% | 3,071 | 2.84% | 128 | 1.73% | 78 | 0.02% | 1 | -40.96% | -1,845 | 4,504 |
| Kanabec | 28.03% | 1,962 | 65.19% | 4,563 | 4.33% | 303 | 2.41% | 169 | 0.04% | 3 | -37.16% | -2,601 | 7,000 |
| Kandiyohi | 31.62% | 5,692 | 63.89% | 11,500 | 3.07% | 552 | 1.40% | 252 | 0.02% | 4 | -32.27% | -5,808 | 18,000 |
| Kittson | 34.17% | 640 | 59.26% | 1,110 | 4.54% | 85 | 2.03% | 38 | 0.00% | 0 | -25.09% | -470 | 1,873 |
| Koochiching | 36.07% | 1,866 | 58.30% | 3,016 | 3.65% | 189 | 1.95% | 101 | 0.02% | 1 | -22.23% | -1,150 | 5,173 |
| Lac qui Parle | 33.38% | 1,040 | 63.09% | 1,966 | 2.28% | 71 | 1.16% | 36 | 0.10% | 3 | -29.72% | -926 | 3,116 |
| Lake | 48.51% | 2,727 | 45.95% | 2,583 | 3.38% | 190 | 2.10% | 118 | 0.05% | 3 | 2.56% | 144 | 5,621 |
| Lake of the Woods | 24.79% | 443 | 72.08% | 1,288 | 2.24% | 40 | 0.84% | 15 | 0.06% | 1 | -47.29% | -845 | 1,787 |
| Le Sueur | 30.67% | 3,979 | 63.64% | 8,256 | 3.89% | 505 | 1.77% | 229 | 0.03% | 4 | -32.97% | -4,277 | 12,973 |
| Lincoln | 28.35% | 683 | 67.29% | 1,621 | 2.70% | 65 | 1.62% | 39 | 0.04% | 1 | -38.94% | -938 | 2,409 |
| Lyon | 30.78% | 2,986 | 64.73% | 6,280 | 3.15% | 306 | 1.30% | 126 | 0.04% | 4 | -33.95% | -3,294 | 9,702 |
| Mahnomen | 37.77% | 613 | 55.95% | 908 | 4.50% | 73 | 1.66% | 27 | 0.12% | 2 | -18.18% | -295 | 1,623 |
| Marshall | 24.37% | 969 | 71.66% | 2,850 | 2.59% | 103 | 1.31% | 52 | 0.08% | 3 | -47.30% | -1,881 | 3,977 |
| Martin | 25.81% | 2,134 | 69.25% | 5,726 | 3.62% | 299 | 1.31% | 108 | 0.01% | 1 | -43.44% | -3,592 | 8,268 |
| McLeod | 27.02% | 4,371 | 67.59% | 10,934 | 3.54% | 573 | 1.82% | 294 | 0.02% | 4 | -40.57% | -6,563 | 16,176 |
| Meeker | 26.81% | 2,861 | 68.13% | 7,270 | 3.29% | 351 | 1.70% | 181 | 0.07% | 7 | -41.32% | -4,409 | 10,670 |
| Mille Lacs | 27.34% | 2,989 | 66.32% | 7,251 | 4.29% | 469 | 2.01% | 220 | 0.05% | 5 | -38.98% | -4,262 | 10,934 |
| Morrison | 21.02% | 3,205 | 74.89% | 11,421 | 2.74% | 418 | 1.34% | 205 | 0.01% | 2 | -53.87% | -8,216 | 15,251 |
| Mower | 42.07% | 5,855 | 51.81% | 7,210 | 4.38% | 609 | 1.69% | 235 | 0.05% | 7 | -9.74% | -1,355 | 13,916 |
| Murray | 26.49% | 1,020 | 70.01% | 2,696 | 2.60% | 100 | 0.86% | 33 | 0.05% | 2 | -43.52% | -1,676 | 3,851 |
| Nicollet | 46.47% | 6,984 | 48.64% | 7,310 | 3.24% | 487 | 1.60% | 240 | 0.06% | 9 | -2.17% | -326 | 15,030 |
| Nobles | 28.44% | 1,702 | 67.03% | 4,011 | 3.09% | 185 | 1.40% | 84 | 0.03% | 2 | -38.59% | -2,309 | 5,984 |
| Norman | 37.16% | 906 | 57.18% | 1,394 | 3.81% | 93 | 1.68% | 41 | 0.16% | 4 | -20.02% | -488 | 2,438 |
| Olmsted | 50.46% | 33,800 | 46.03% | 30,835 | 2.22% | 1,486 | 1.27% | 852 | 0.02% | 11 | 4.43% | 2,965 | 66,984 |
| Otter Tail | 29.47% | 8,296 | 66.14% | 18,616 | 2.95% | 829 | 1.41% | 397 | 0.03% | 8 | -36.67% | -10,320 | 28,146 |
| Pennington | 31.56% | 1,699 | 62.11% | 3,344 | 4.42% | 238 | 1.89% | 102 | 0.02% | 1 | -30.55% | -1,645 | 5,384 |
| Pine | 30.87% | 3,767 | 62.51% | 7,629 | 4.64% | 566 | 1.92% | 234 | 0.07% | 8 | -31.65% | -3,862 | 12,204 |
| Pipestone | 22.14% | 829 | 74.39% | 2,786 | 2.38% | 89 | 1.07% | 40 | 0.03% | 1 | -52.26% | -1,957 | 3,745 |
| Polk | 30.22% | 3,253 | 65.34% | 7,033 | 3.08% | 332 | 1.32% | 142 | 0.04% | 4 | -35.12% | -3,780 | 10,764 |
| Pope | 32.16% | 1,804 | 63.68% | 3,572 | 2.78% | 156 | 1.28% | 72 | 0.09% | 5 | -31.52% | -1,768 | 5,609 |
| Ramsey | 65.44% | 138,676 | 27.39% | 58,035 | 4.47% | 9,472 | 2.63% | 5,569 | 0.07% | 149 | 38.06% | 80,641 | 211,901 |
| Red Lake | 29.68% | 463 | 64.87% | 1,012 | 4.04% | 63 | 1.35% | 21 | 0.06% | 1 | -35.19% | -549 | 1,560 |
| Redwood | 23.46% | 1,489 | 72.08% | 4,574 | 3.12% | 198 | 1.31% | 83 | 0.03% | 2 | -48.61% | -3,085 | 6,346 |
| Renville | 26.57% | 1,650 | 67.75% | 4,208 | 3.96% | 246 | 1.67% | 104 | 0.05% | 3 | -41.18% | -2,558 | 6,211 |
| Rice | 46.65% | 13,040 | 48.33% | 13,510 | 3.23% | 903 | 1.76% | 492 | 0.03% | 7 | -1.68% | -470 | 27,952 |
| Rock | 26.18% | 1,068 | 70.21% | 2,864 | 2.13% | 87 | 1.45% | 59 | 0.02% | 1 | -44.03% | -1,796 | 4,079 |
| Roseau | 22.89% | 1,467 | 73.11% | 4,685 | 2.82% | 181 | 1.17% | 75 | 0.00% | 0 | -50.22% | -3,218 | 6,408 |
| Scott | 39.90% | 26,579 | 55.09% | 36,698 | 3.55% | 2,362 | 1.43% | 950 | 0.03% | 21 | -15.19% | -10,119 | 66,610 |
| Sherburne | 29.34% | 12,010 | 64.94% | 26,582 | 3.82% | 1,562 | 1.88% | 770 | 0.03% | 12 | -35.60% | -14,572 | 40,936 |
| Sibley | 24.72% | 1,608 | 70.40% | 4,580 | 3.27% | 213 | 1.58% | 103 | 0.03% | 2 | -45.68% | -2,972 | 6,506 |
| St. Louis | 53.70% | 49,010 | 39.79% | 36,316 | 4.02% | 3,665 | 2.43% | 2,221 | 0.07% | 62 | 13.91% | 12,694 | 91,274 |
| Stearns | 33.19% | 21,284 | 61.65% | 39,533 | 3.33% | 2,136 | 1.74% | 1,117 | 0.08% | 53 | -28.46% | -18,249 | 64,123 |
| Steele | 34.55% | 5,610 | 60.23% | 9,781 | 3.37% | 548 | 1.82% | 296 | 0.02% | 4 | -25.69% | -4,171 | 16,239 |
| Stevens | 33.67% | 1,343 | 62.75% | 2,503 | 2.21% | 88 | 1.35% | 54 | 0.03% | 1 | -29.08% | -1,160 | 3,989 |
| Swift | 33.59% | 1,302 | 61.95% | 2,401 | 3.22% | 125 | 1.19% | 46 | 0.05% | 2 | -28.35% | -1,099 | 3,876 |
| Todd | 22.93% | 2,457 | 72.00% | 7,715 | 3.42% | 366 | 1.59% | 170 | 0.07% | 7 | -49.07% | -5,258 | 10,715 |
| Traverse | 29.36% | 446 | 64.91% | 986 | 3.95% | 60 | 1.71% | 26 | 0.07% | 1 | -35.55% | -540 | 1,519 |
| Wabasha | 32.53% | 3,440 | 62.54% | 6,613 | 3.22% | 341 | 1.66% | 176 | 0.04% | 4 | -30.01% | -3,173 | 10,574 |
| Wadena | 24.09% | 1,426 | 71.53% | 4,234 | 3.04% | 180 | 1.33% | 79 | 0.00% | 0 | -47.44% | -2,808 | 5,919 |
| Waseca | 30.12% | 2,484 | 64.29% | 5,302 | 3.82% | 315 | 1.72% | 142 | 0.05% | 4 | -34.17% | -2,818 | 8,247 |
| Washington | 48.45% | 62,085 | 46.65% | 59,772 | 3.08% | 3,944 | 1.77% | 2,267 | 0.05% | 64 | 1.81% | 2,313 | 128,132 |
| Watonwan | 32.95% | 1,252 | 62.29% | 2,367 | 3.00% | 114 | 1.66% | 63 | 0.11% | 4 | -29.34% | -1,115 | 3,800 |
| Wilkin | 26.88% | 685 | 68.41% | 1,743 | 3.30% | 84 | 1.26% | 32 | 0.16% | 4 | -41.52% | -1,058 | 2,548 |
| Winona | 45.00% | 9,090 | 50.50% | 10,201 | 3.06% | 618 | 1.39% | 280 | 0.05% | 10 | -5.50% | -1,111 | 20,199 |
| Wright | 30.38% | 19,624 | 63.64% | 41,114 | 3.83% | 2,472 | 2.11% | 1,365 | 0.04% | 29 | -33.26% | -21,490 | 64,604 |
| Yellow Medicine | 27.50% | 1,189 | 67.85% | 2,933 | 3.28% | 142 | 1.34% | 58 | 0.02% | 1 | -40.34% | -1,744 | 4,323 |
| Totals | 47.47% | 1,168,185 | 47.13% | 1,159,750 | 3.55% | 87,386 | 1.80% | 44,270 | 0.05% | 1,341 | 0.34% | 8,435 | 2,460,932 |
By congressional district[edit]
Despite losing the state, Wilson won 5 of 8 congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.[27]
| District | Blaha | Wilson | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 40% | 55% | Brad Finstad |
| 2nd | 47% | 48% | Angie Craig |
| 3rd | 53% | 42% | Dean Phillips |
| 4th | 61% | 32% | Betty McCollum |
| 5th | 76% | 18% | Ilhan Omar |
| 6th | 35% | 59% | Tom Emmer |
| 7th | 29% | 66% | Michelle Fischbach |
| 8th | 40% | 54% | Pete Stauber |
Aftermath[edit]
On November 9, the day after the election, Blaha claimed victory in Minnesota's closest race of the year. She released a statement, reading in part: "Our victory is a message that Minnesotans want their auditor to continue to focus on local government, to ultimately protect our freedom to make decisions in our own communities."[28]
Ryan Wilson conceded the same day, saying that he planned to return to practicing law and fundraising for a baseball stadium at Hamel in Medina.[28]
The 8,435-vote margin was slightly above the threshold for an automatic recount.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - ^ "Other" polled at 3% with no candidate name given
- ^ Davis (LMN) with 3.8%, and Finn (GLC) with 2.2%
- ^ Davis (LMN) with 3.3%, and Finn (GLC) with 2.8%
- ^ "Not sure" with 11.9%, and "would not vote" with 1.8%
- ^ Davis (LMN) with 4.8%, and Finn (GLC) with 0.9%
References[edit]
- ^ "Candidate Filings". candidates.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Minnesota Historical Election Archive". Minnesota Historical Election Archive. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Office of the State Auditor 2020-21 Biennial Budget Request" (PDF). Minnesota Management and Budget. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ "2021 Financial and Compliance Report on Federally Assisted Programs" (PDF). Minnesota Office of the State Auditor. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ "Chapter 6., 2022 Minnesota Statutes". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana (October 31, 2018). "In low-key state auditor's race, candidates struggle for attention". MPR News. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c Callaghan, Peter (September 15, 2022). "Wait? There's a 'real issue' in the state auditor's race?". MinnPost. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana (August 14, 2021). "Julie Blaha brings 'fresh attitude' to building back State Auditor's Office". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Turtinen, Melissa (April 6, 2022). "Treasurer used city funds to pay bills, fund travel, Minnesota auditor finds". FOX 9. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ Lovrien, Jimmy (July 29, 2022). "State auditor: NE Minnesota mayor may not have disclosed all business interests when they went before city". InForum. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ Montemayor, Stephen (July 3, 2021). "Changes to Minnesota's civil asset forfeiture laws pass Legislature". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Chhith, Alex (November 16, 2021). "Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha announces bid for re-election". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ "DFL Party Endorses Julie Blaha for State Auditor". Minnesota DFL. May 20, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Montemayor, Stephen (January 31, 2022). "Two GOP candidates launch bids for Minnesota attorney general, state auditor". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Orrick, Dave (May 13, 2022). "MN Republicans endorse Ryan Wilson for state auditor". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Lopez, Ricardo (June 6, 2022). "To counter GOP meddling, some cannabis activists pushed effort to change party name". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ Pugmire, Tim (February 23, 2022). "Legal cannabis parties weigh election year strategy". MPR News. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "What's on my ballot?". Minnesota Secretary of State Online Voter Tools. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ "Feeding Our Future, Attorney General Race, Opioid Crisis". Twin Cities PBS. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ "Feeding Our Future Fallout, Early Voting, Minneapolis Police Chief". Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Attorney Announces Federal Charges Against 47 Defendants in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme". U.S. Department of Justice. September 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ "State Auditor Debate, Campaign News of the Week". Twin Cities PBS. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Ryan Wilson Continues to Misrepresent Office of the State Auditor, Misleading Voters" (PDF). Blaha for State Auditor. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Medina, Regina (October 6, 2022). "Voter guide: See Minnesota auditor candidates' stances on key issues". MPR News. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ Mulcahy, Mike (October 21, 2022). "Meet the candidates for Minnesota state auditor". MPR News. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "2022 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS". Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ "Home - Election Results". electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Olson, Rochelle (November 9, 2022). "State Auditor Blaha declares victory, Wilson concedes in closest statewide matchup". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Official campaign websites
