# State auditor *Statewide elected office in Minnesota* The state auditor is a statewide elected office in [[Minnesota]]. Chapter 6 of Minnesota Statutes, headed *State Auditor*, establishes the office. Section 6.481 of that chapter governs county audits and payments to the state auditor.[^1][^2] The office's own biography page lists Julie Blaha as state auditor. In a press release dated September 4, 2025, the office announced that she would not seek re-election in 2026.[^3][^4] The documentary record compiled here consists of the statute pages, the office's own web pages, and news reporting on elections for the office. It contains no audit report, management letter or finding issued by the office itself. The office is therefore described here by its statute and its officeholders, not by its audit outputs.[^1][^3] Two pairs in the project's at-issue record concern the office. The first attributes a 2020 examination of prisons to the state auditor, although the row's listed source is on the Legislative Auditor's domain. The second records that a search of the State Auditor's management letters located no audit finding of material weakness specific to Stearns County government. The project pairs both with a March 2025 presidential action on fraud, waste and abuse.[^5] ## Who The Office of the State Auditor publishes a biography of Julie Blaha as state auditor.[^3] The office's September 4, 2025 release states that she will not seek re-election in 2026. KSTP and CBS News reported the same announcement.[^4][^6][^7] Earlier contests for the office appear in news reporting. The Star Tribune reported that Blaha declared victory and that Ryan Wilson conceded, in a race its headline called the "closest statewide matchup." The record does not carry that article's date.[^8] CBS News reported the candidates tied as they sparred over the role of the office.[^9] MinnPost asked in September 2022 whether there was a "real issue" in the state auditor's race.[^10] Before that, the Star Tribune reported that Blaha and Pam Myhra had different plans for the office.[^11] EMILY's List endorsed Blaha for the office.[^12] The Star Tribune published an opinion piece by Blaha titled *Let's clear things up on Minnesota fraud*.[^13] KSTP reported that candidates for the office clashed over fraud and abortion; the record does not date that report.[^14] Rebecca Otto is a former holder of the office. In May 2015, MinnPost reported on a bill its headline described as undercutting the State Auditor's office. The record does not show the bill's sponsors, vote or disposition.[^15] In June 2016, MinnPost reported that Otto went to court over the duties of the office.[^16] The MnFIRE initiative later announced that she had joined its team.[^17] For the 2026 election, Fox 9 and ECM's County News Review reported that the Minnesota Republican Party endorsed Nate George for state auditor. Northern News Now reported the endorsement on May 30, 2026.[^18][^19][^20] The Mora newspaper reported that the mayor of Braham sought the Republican endorsement.[^21] The Duluth News Tribune reported that a former Duluth city councilor entered the race.[^22] Alpha News reported that a state auditor candidate proposed a "fraud risk" scoring system for all local governments; the record shows a proposal, not an enactment.[^23] A Wikipedia article covers the 2026 election.[^24] Alpha News also reported that Demuth selected Wilson, identified as a former state auditor candidate, as her running mate.[^25] ## What Minnesota Statutes chapter 6, *State Auditor*, is the statutory basis of the office. The Revisor of Statutes publishes the full chapter.[^1] Section 6.481 of the chapter is headed *County audits; payments to state auditor*.[^2] The record carries these headings but not the statutory text. It therefore does not establish the office's duties beyond them, or the chapter's enactment and amendment history.[^1][^2] ## When - May 2015: MinnPost reports on a bill affecting the State Auditor's office.[^15] - June 2016: MinnPost reports that Otto went to court over the office's duties.[^16] - September 2022: MinnPost reports on the state auditor's race.[^10] - September 4, 2025: the Office of the State Auditor announces that Blaha will not seek re-election in 2026.[^4] - May 30, 2026: Northern News Now reports the Republican endorsement of Nate George.[^20] ## In the at-issue record The project's at-issue record contains a pair (AI-Scott-077) stating that the state auditor examined prisons in 2020. According to the pair, the examination found staffing shortages, overtime that quadrupled from 2013 to 2019, forced overtime making up fifteen to twenty percent of that overtime, and limited external oversight. The row cites "Matrix 4.12." Its only listed source domain is auditor.leg.state.mn.us, which belongs to the [[Legislative Auditor]], not the Office of the State Auditor. The record does not establish which office issued the 2020 report, and it carries no URL for the report. The project sets the finding beside the March 2025 presidential action *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse*.[^5] A second pair (AI-Stearns-050) records the result of a search. No no-bid contracting scandal or procurement controversy was located for Stearns County government. Nor was any audit finding of material weakness specific to that government located in the State Auditor's management letters or in news coverage. The row lists the State Auditor's and Stearns County's domains as its sources but carries no document URL. This is the result of one search. It does not establish that no such finding exists, and the office's management letters themselves are not in the record. The project pairs this result with the same March 2025 presidential action.[^5] ## Notes [^1]: Revisor of Statutes, *Minn. Stat. ch. 6 — State Auditor* (full chapter) — the statutory chapter for the office. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/6/full [^2]: Revisor of Statutes, *Minn. Stat. §6.481 — County audits; payments to state auditor* — the county-audit section of the chapter. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/6.481 [^3]: Office of the State Auditor, *State Auditor Julie Blaha Bio* — lists Blaha as state auditor. https://www.osa.state.mn.us/about/state-auditor-julie-blaha/state-auditor-julie-blaha-bio/ [^4]: Office of the State Auditor, *Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha Will Not Seek Re-Election in 2026* (September 4, 2025) — the announcement and its date. https://www.auditor.state.mn.us/news/updates/press-releases-articles/2025/minnesota-state-auditor-julie-blaha-will-not-seek-re-election-in-2026-for-september-4-2025/ [^5]: The White House, *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse* (March 2025) — the federal anchor document the project pairs with both at-issue rows. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^6]: KSTP, *Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha says she won't seek reelection in 2026* — news report of the announcement. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minnesota-state-auditor-julie-blaha-says-she-wont-seek-reelection-in-2026/ [^7]: CBS News Minnesota, *Julie Blaha, Minnesota state auditor, won't seek re-election in 2026* — news report of the announcement. https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/minnesota/news/julie-blaha-minnesota-state-auditor-wont-seek-re-election [^8]: Star Tribune, *State Auditor Blaha declares victory, Wilson concedes in closest statewide matchup* — the election result as reported. https://www.startribune.com/state-auditor-blaha-declares-victory-wilson-concedes-in-closest-statewide-matchup/600223886 [^9]: CBS News Minnesota, *Candidates for Minnesota state auditor tied as they spar over role of office* — report of a tied race. https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/state-auditor-race-dfl-auditor-julie-blaha-in-dead-heat-with-gop-challenger-ryan-wilson/ [^10]: MinnPost, *Wait? There's a 'real issue' in the state auditor's race?* (September 2022) — coverage of the 2022 race. https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2022/09/wait-theres-a-real-issue-in-the-state-auditor-s-race/ [^11]: Star Tribune, *Julie Blaha, Pam Myhra have different plans for state auditor's office* — coverage of an earlier race. https://www.startribune.com/blaha-myhra-have-different-plans-for-state-auditor-s-office/499020011/ [^12]: EMILY's List, *EMILYs List Endorses Julie Blaha for Minnesota State Auditor* — the endorsement. https://emilyslist.org/news/emilys-list-endorses-julie-blaha-for-minnesota-state-auditor/ [^13]: Star Tribune, *State Auditor Julie Blaha: Let's clear things up on Minnesota fraud* — opinion piece by the officeholder. https://www.startribune.com/mn-fraud-scandals-explainer-fof-autism-service-providers/601504814 [^14]: KSTP, *Minnesota state auditor candidates clash over fraud, abortion* — campaign coverage. https://kstp.com/politics/elections-news/minnesota-state-auditor-candidates-clash-over-fraud-abortion/ [^15]: MinnPost, *Otto Suspects Political Motivations Behind Bill Undercutting State Auditor's Office* (May 2015) — report on a 2015 bill affecting the office. https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2015/05/otto-suspects-political-motivations-behind-bill-undercutting-state-auditors-/ [^16]: MinnPost, *Power Struggle: Rebecca Otto Goes to Court Over State Auditor Duties* (June 2016) — report of Otto's court action. https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/06/power-struggle-rebecca-otto-goes-court-over-state-auditor-duties/ [^17]: MnFIRE, *Former State Auditor Rebecca Otto Joins MnFIRE Team* — identifies Otto as a former state auditor. https://mnfireinitiative.com/former-state-auditor-rebecca-otto-joins-mnfire-team/ [^18]: Fox 9, *Minnesota GOP endorses Nate George for state auditor* — the Republican endorsement. https://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-gop-endorses-nate-george-state-auditor [^19]: County News Review (ECM), *George receives GOP state auditor endorsement* — the Republican endorsement. https://www.hometownsource.com/county_news_review/county_news_review/news/local/george-receives-gop-state-auditor-endorsement/article_bf2fddd4-d2ad-4f95-895b-11e3d20091f3.html [^20]: Northern News Now, *Republicans endorse Nate George for State Auditor* (May 30, 2026) — the endorsement and its report date. https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2026/05/30/republicans-endorse-nate-george-state-auditor/ [^21]: Mora (moraminn.com), *Braham Mayor seeks Republican endorsement for state auditor* — a candidacy for the endorsement. https://www.moraminn.com/news/braham-mayor-seeks-republican-endorsement-for-state-auditor/article_5709cfb5-2e94-48f9-8b8b-ef8407c51523.html [^22]: Duluth News Tribune, *Former Duluth city councilor enters state auditor race* — a candidacy. https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/former-duluth-city-councilor-enters-state-auditor-race [^23]: Alpha News, *State auditor candidate proposes 'fraud risk' scoring system for all local governments* — the proposal. https://alphanews.org/state-auditor-candidate-proposes-fraud-risk-scoring-system-for-all-local-governments/ [^24]: Wikipedia, *2026 Minnesota State Auditor election* — overview article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Minnesota_State_Auditor_election [^25]: Alpha News, *Demuth selects former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as running mate* — the selection. https://alphanews.org/lisa-demuth-selects-former-state-auditor-candidate-ryan-wilson-as-running-mate/