Zack Filipovich Leads Minnesota State Auditor Race

Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Zack Filipovich held an early lead in the race for Minnesota state auditor as of late Tuesday night. With 2.1 million votes counted, the former Duluth City Councilor led Republican opponent Scott Jensen 53% to 44%, while Forward Independence Party candidate Jay Reeves trailed with 3%.

The election follows the decision by DFL incumbent Julie Blaha not to seek reelection after serving two terms. Filipovich, a certified management accountant, campaigned on the goal of maintaining the auditor's office as a functional partner for local government.

Jensen, a physician and former state senator, focused his campaign on ensuring legal compliance in local spending and combating fraud. The state auditor is responsible for overseeing more than $56 billion in financial data for local jurisdictions across the state.