# 2020 Pennsylvania Auditor General election

Elections in Pennsylvania :
Federal government
U.S. President
1789
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate
1788
1791
1793 sp
1794 sp
1795
1796
1797
1801
1801 sp
1802
1806
1808
1808 sp
1809 sp
1812
1814
1814 sp
1818
1820
1824
1826
1830
1831 sp
1832
1834 sp
1836
1840 sp
1843
1845
1845 sp
1849
1851
1856
1857
1861
1861 sp
1863
1867
1869
1873
1875
1877 sp
1879
1881
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1901 sp
1903
1905
1905 sp
1908
1909
1909 sp
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1922 sp
1926
1928
1930 sp
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1991 sp
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House of Representatives
1788
1791
1792
1794
1796
5th sp
1797
5th sp
1798
1st sp
4th sp
1800
8th sp
1801
4th sp
8th sp
12th sp
1802
1804
10th sp
1805
4th sp
11th sp
1806
1st sp
1808
1st sp
1809
1st sp
1810
1812
1813
3rd sp
5th sp
7th sp
13th sp
15th sp
1814
2nd sp
3rd sp
1815
1st sp
3rd sp
9th sp
1816
9th sp
1817
10th sp
1818
4th sp
6th sp
1820
5th sp
7th sp
1821
5th sp
10th sp
1822
1st sp
6th sp
7th sp
14th sp
1824
8th sp
13th sp
1825
16th sp
1826
2nd sp
7th sp
13th sp
18th sp
1827
2nd sp
1828
1829
8th sp
16th sp
1830
1831
11th sp
1832
1833
1st sp
1834
1836
13th sp
24th sp
1837
3rd sp
1838
9th sp
1839
14th sp
1840
13th sp
22nd sp
1841
2nd sp
13th sp
20th sp
18th sp
Jun
Dec
1842
17th sp
21st sp
1843
1844
12th sp
13th sp
21st sp
1846
1848
6th sp
1850
11th sp
15th sp
1852
1854
8th sp
1856
1857
12th sp
1858
8th sp
1860
8th sp
1861
2nd sp
12th sp
1862
7th sp
1864
1866
1867
12th sp
1868
9th sp
20th sp
1870
1872
13th sp
1874
23rd sp
1876
12th sp
1878
1880
1882
1884
19th sp
1885
19th sp
1886
1888
1890
3rd sp
4th sp
1892
1893
2nd sp
8th sp
1894
at-large sp
1895
15th sp
1896
1897
25th sp
1898
23rd sp
1899
9th sp
1900
5th sp
1901
10th sp
1902
17th sp
1903
4th sp
1904
3rd sp
1906
2nd sp
3rd sp
12th sp
1907
2nd sp
1908
1910
1911
2nd sp
14th sp
1912
1st sp
1914
1916
1917
28th sp
1918
1919
22nd sp
1920
3rd sp
1921
at-large sp
1922
1924
1926
1927
1st sp
1928
8th sp
1929
12th sp
1930
1931
2nd sp
1932
6th sp
18th sp
20th sp
1933
9th sp
1934
1936
1937
18th sp
1938
1939
4th sp
1940
1941
15th sp
1942
11th sp
12th sp
33rd sp
1943
2nd sp
23rd sp
1944
2nd sp
17th sp
1946
10th sp
23rd sp
33rd sp
1947
8th sp
1948
1949
22nd sp
26th sp
1950
1951
8th sp
14th sp
33rd sp
1952
1954
1956
2nd sp
30th sp
1957
13th sp
1958
4th sp
21st sp
1960
17th sp
18th sp
1961
16th sp
1962
1963
15th sp
23rd sp
1964
5th sp
1966
1968
1970
9th sp
1971
18th sp
1972
27th sp
1974
12th sp
1976
1st sp
1978
1980
11th sp
12th sp
1981
3rd sp
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1991
2nd sp
1992
1994
1996
1998
1st sp
2000
2001
9th sp
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
12th sp
2012
2014
2016
2nd sp
2018
7th sp
15th sp
18th sp
2019
12th sp
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
Governor
1790
1793
1796
1799
1802
1805
1808
1811
1814
1817
1820
1823
1826
1829
1832
1835
1838
1841
1844
1847
1848
1851
1854
1857
1860
1863
1866
1869
1872
1875
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Lieutenant Governor
1874
1878
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Auditor General
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Treasurer
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Senate
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
State House of Representatives
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Elections by year
State elections
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 :
Philadelphia
Mayoral elections
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1865
1868
1871
1874
1877
1881
1884
1887
1891
1895
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
City Council elections
1951
1954 sp.
1955
1959
1963
2015
2019
2022–23 sp.
2023
Other municipal elections
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
2023 :
Pittsburgh
Mayors
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1959
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2007
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Allentown
Mayors
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2019 sp
2021
2025 :
Lancaster
Mayors
2009
2017
2021
2025 :
Harrisburg
Mayors
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Government :
vte :
The Pennsylvania Auditor General election of 2020 took place on November 3, 2020. Primary elections were originally due to take place on April 28, 2020. However, following concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic the primaries were delayed until June 2, 2020. Under the Pennsylvania Constitution incumbent Democratic Auditor General Eugene DePasquale was ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.
The Democratic Party nominated Nina Ahmad, a Bangladeshi American, while the Republicans nominated Timothy DeFoor, an African American, meaning that the victor would be the first person of color to be elected to statewide executive office in Pennsylvania.
On November 6, the Associated Press declared Timothy DeFoor the winner. DeFoor became the first Republican to win the office of Auditor General in 28 years, the first African American and person of color to win election to statewide office in Pennsylvania, and became the second African American to hold statewide office in Pennsylvania upon taking office.

## Background

Historically, the Democratic Party has controlled the Auditor General's office in the modern era. Between 1960 and 2016, the Democratic nominee for Auditor General has prevailed in all but two elections. The last Republican to serve as Auditor General was Barbara Hafer, who was elected in 1988 and 1992.
Between 2000 and 2016, the nominee of the Democratic Party ran unopposed in their party's primary. However, between October 2019 and January 2020, six candidates entered the Democratic primary, becoming the largest primary field since 1996, when Bob Casey Jr. defeated three other candidates to advance to the general election.
In contrast to similar offices in other states, the Pennsylvania Auditor General's office is seen as a potential stepping stone to higher office. Bob Casey Sr. and Bob Casey Jr. held the office prior to becoming governor and U.S. Senator, respectively, and auditors general Donald A. Bailey and Jack Wagner attempted gubernatorial campaigns during or after their tenure. Hafer was the Republican nominee for governor in 1990, while still serving as auditor general. Outgoing auditor general Eugene DePasquale was also seen as having successfully used the office to raise his profile in the state, and was seen as a potential candidate for governor or U.S. Senate in 2022 prior to announcing he would run for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district.
In 2019, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted to reduce the budget of the auditor general's office by 10%. The cuts were seen by observers as a response to DePasquale's political activity.

### Impact of COVID-19

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 25 the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted to delay the state's primary elections from April 28 to June 2. The same act of legislation which delayed the primary also permitted counties to temporarily consolidate polling places for the primary election. In October 2019, prior to the pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law an election reform bill which allowed for postal voting. In April, it was announced that Pennsylvania residents would be able to request a postal ballot over the internet, with an application deadline of May 26.
The government encouraged postal voting in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and maintain social distancing. Postal ballots were originally due to be received by election officials by 8 p.m. EDT on June 2. However, on June 1, Governor Wolf signed an executive order extending the deadline to June 9 for six counties, provided the ballots in question were postmarked no later than June 2. The counties impacted by the executive order were Philadelphia, Allegheny, Erie, Dauphin, Montgomery, and Delaware. In issuing the executive order, Governor Wolf's office cited both the pandemic and the ongoing protests in response to the murder of George Floyd as motivation for the extension. On June 2, a judge granted Bucks County a postal ballot extension, bringing the total number of counties granted an extension to seven.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Nina Ahmad, former deputy mayor of Philadelphia and candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2018

#### Defeated in primary

* H. Scott Conklin, state representative from the 77th district since 2007 and Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2010
* Rose Davis, certified public accountant and vice chairman of the Smithfield Township Board of Auditors
* Tracie Fountain, certified public accountant and former employee of the Auditor General's office
* Christina Hartman, former nonprofit executive and Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district in 2016
* Michael Lamb, Pittsburgh city controller since 2008

#### Withdrew

* Alan Butkovitz, former Philadelphia city controller (2006–2018) and former state representative (1991–2005)

### Endorsements

State legislators
* Arthur L. Haywood III, state senator for the 4th district
* Movita Johnson-Harrell, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 190th district
* Stephen Kinsey, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 201st district
* Jared Solomon, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 202nd district
* Danilo Burgos, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 197th district
Local officials
* Cindy Bass, member of the Philadelphia City Council
* Rochelle Bilal, Philadelphia Sheriff
* Helen Gym, Member of the Philadelphia City Council
Organizations
* AAPI Victory Fund
Newspapers and other media
* Philadelphia Tribune
State legislators
* Patrick J. Harkins, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 1st District
* Robert Merski, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2nd District
Local
* Mark Higgins, commissioner of Centre County, Pennsylvania
* Michael Pipe, commissioner of Centre County, Pennsylvania
Organizations
* International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 8
Organizations
* Emerge America
State executives
* Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania (2003–2011)
State legislators
* Mike Sturla, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 96th district (1991–present)
* Mary Jo Daley, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 148th district (2013–present)
* Joe Ciresi, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 146th district (2019–present)
* Tim Seip, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 125th district (2007–2010)
County officials
* D. Bruce Hanes, Montgomery County Register of Wills
Organizations
* Lancaster County Democratic Committee
* Chester County Democratic Committee
* Chester County Young Democrats
* Montgomery County Democratic Committee
* Middletown Democratic Party
U.S. representatives
* Mike Doyle, congressman from PA-18 (2019-present, 1995–2003) and PA-14 (2003–2019)
* Conor Lamb, congressman for PA-17 (2019–present) and PA-18 (2018–2019)
State legislators
* Jay Costa, minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate (2011–present) and state senator for the 43rd district (1996–present)
* Austin Davis, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 35th district (2018–present)
* Dan Deasy, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 27th district (2009–present)
* Anthony M. DeLuca, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 32nd district (1983–)
* Frank Dermody, minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2011–) and member for the 33rd district (1991–present)
* Wayne D. Fontana, state senator for the 42nd district (2005–present)
* William C. Kortz, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 37th district (2007–present)
* Dan Miller, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 42nd district (2013–present)
* Harry Readshaw, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 36th district (1995–present)
* Michael Driscoll, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 173rd district (2015–present)
County officials
* Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive (2012–present)
* Stephen Zappala, District Attorney of Allegheny County (1998–present)
Local officials
* Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia since 2016
* Jonathan Saidel, former Philadelphia City Controller (1990–2006)
Organizations
* Philadelphia City Democratic Committee
* Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania
* Plumbers Union Local 27
* Pittsburgh Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1
* Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1

### Campaign

Christina Hartman became the first Democrat to officially enter the field in October 2019. She was joined later in that month by Nina Ahmad. Tracie Fountain, a longtime employee of the auditor general's office, resigned in order to mount a campaign. By January, the size of the field had swelled to seven candidates when Alan Butkovitz, the former Philadelphia City Controller, announced he was entering the race on January 23. Just eleven days later, however, Butkovitz withdrew from the race citing an intent to help Democrats win Pennsylvania in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Hartman received the endorsement of former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell in December 2019. In January, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb secured the endorsement of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, which Lamb later touted in an advertisement in the closing days of the campaign.
Both Lamb and Ahmad sought to portray themselves as progressives. Ahmad pledged to use the auditor general's office to tackle issues such as gun violence and cited healthcare and prescription drug costs as "a big concern". Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ahmad also called for a pandemic preparedness audit. Lamb was described as "a vocal critic of Wall Street," and stated that his first action would be to conduct an audit of the auditor general's office itself in the name of increased transparency. Lamb also supported legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania, and highlighted his track record as Pittsburgh's top auditor.
Tracie Fountain and H. Scott Conklin highlighted the department's budget cuts in discussing their plans for the office. Fountain's campaign focused on optimizing the work of the auditor general's office in the face of those cuts, while Conklin called for programs to support independent farms and small businesses. Rose Davis highlighted her more than three decades of experience conducting audits and stated her priority would be to audit third-party contractors, particularly in the field of eldercare. Hartman expressed a desire to focus on criminal justice and school spending. Each of the candidates promised greater oversight of COVID-19 relief spending.
On March 28 and March 29, 2020, virtual meetings conducted over the Zoom teleconferencing service with Ahmad, Davis, and Fountain (all women of color) were targeted by hackers who deployed racial epithets. As of May 29, Ahmad and Lamb reportedly had the highest spending on television advertising, while Conklin, Fountain, and Hartman had no television spending. Similarly, according to reports filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State in 2020, Ahmad led the field in campaign contributions with around $428,000, followed by Lamb with approximately $158,000. Rose Davis reported the lowest value of contributions, with only around $5,000 in total receipts. Ahmad, Lamb, and Conklin were also believed to have the highest name recognition in the race. On May 30, Hartman attended a demonstration in Lancaster to protest the murder of George Floyd.

### Results

As results came in on election night, Michael Lamb appeared to be in the lead. However, as a result of the implementation of postal voting and extensions granted to seven counties the race was deemed too early to call. A majority of outstanding votes were from the southeastern portion of the state, where Nina Ahmad was expected to be strongest. Ahmad pulled ahead of Lamb in the days following the election and by June 8 was perceived as the likely victor, but the race remained too close to call. Nina Ahmad claimed victory on June 11 and Michael Lamb conceded the race.
Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nina Ahmad | 551,144 | 36.44% |
| | Democratic | Michael Lamb | 410,556 | 27.14% |
| | Democratic | Christina Hartman | 211,281 | 13.97% |
| | Democratic | Tracie Fountain | 136,130 | 9.00% |
| | Democratic | H. Scott Conklin | 112,952 | 7.47% |
| | Democratic | Rose Davis | 90,558 | 5.99% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,512,621 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Timothy DeFoor, Dauphin County controller

#### Withdrew

* Cris Dush, state representative from the 66th district since 2015 (running for State Senate)
* Dennis Stuckey, former Lancaster County commissioner

#### Declined

* Mike Tobash, state representative from the 125th district

### Endorsements

Organizations
* Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania

### Campaign

Lancaster County Commissioner Dennis Stuckey, whose term expired in 2020, became the first Republican to enter the primary in November 2019. Stuckey highlighted his record as a county official and his past experience in accounting and finance. Dauphin County Controller Timothy DeFoor became the second Republican to join the field in December, followed by Cris Dush, a state legislator from Jefferson County, in January 2020. However, later in January the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania voted to officially endorse DeFoor for the position with 199 votes, compared to 96 for Stuckey and 11 for Dush. Stuckey had previously indicated that he would not mount a campaign without party support, and subsequently withdrew from the race on January 30. On February 13, 2020, Dush withdrew from the race in order to seek a seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate, leaving DeFoor the presumptive nominee.

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Timothy DeFoor | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,042,092 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Nina Ahmad (D) | Timothy Defoor (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Civiqs/Daily Kos | October 23–26, 2020 | 1,145 (LV) | ± 3% | 48% | 41% | 5% | 6% |
| Monmouth University | September 28 – October 4, 2020 | 500 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 46% | 40% | 3% | 12% |
| Monmouth University | September 28 – October 4, 2020 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 46% | 42% | – | – |
| Monmouth University | September 28 – October 4, 2020 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 45% | 44% | – | – |
| CPEC | September 15–17 | 830 (LV) | ± 2.3% | 21% | 20% | 1% | 59% |
| Monmouth University | August 28–31, 2020 | 400 (RV) | ± 4.9% | 43% | 41% | 4% | 12% |
| Monmouth University | August 28–31, 2020 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 45% | 42% | 3% | 11% |
| Monmouth University | August 28–31, 2020 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 45% | 42% | 2% | 12% |

### Endorsements

U.S. presidents
* Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States
U.S. vice presidents
* Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States, 2020 Democratic nominee for president
U.S. senators
* Kamala Harris, U.S. senator from California; 2020 vice presidential nominee
U.S. representatives
* Brendan Boyle, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district (2019–present) and PA-13 (2015–2019)
State legislators
* Arthur L. Haywood III, State Senator for the 4th district
* Movita Johnson-Harrell, former Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 190th district
* Stephen Kinsey, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 201st district
* Jared Solomon, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 202nd district
* Katie Muth, State Senator for the 44th district
Local officials
* Cindy Bass, Member of the Philadelphia City Council
* Rochelle Bilal, Philadelphia Sheriff
* Helen Gym, Member of the Philadelphia City Council
* Maria Quiñones-Sanchez, member of the Philadelphia City Council
Individuals
* Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, non-profit leader and 2020 Democratic candidate for President
Organizations
* AAPI Victory Fund
* Humanity Forward
* Philadelphia Council AFL–CIO
Newspapers and other media
* The Philadelphia Inquirer
* Philadelphia Tribune
U.S. representatives
* Glenn Thompson, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district (2019-present), Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district (2009–2019)
Organizations
* Pennsylvania National Federation of Independent Business
* Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania
Newspapers and other media
* The Citizens' Voice
* Harrisburg 100

### Results

Pennsylvania Auditor General election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Timothy DeFoor | 3,338,009 | 49.44% | +4.36% |
| | Democratic | Nina Ahmad | 3,129,131 | 46.35% | −3.66% |
| | Libertarian | Jennifer Moore | 205,929 | 3.05% | +0.82% |
| | Green | Olivia Faison | 78,588 | 1.16% | −1.53% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,751,657 | 100.0% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

#### By congressional district

DeFoor won 11 of 18 congressional districts, including two that elected Democrats.
| District | Ahmad | DeFoor | Representative |
| 1st | 47% | 49% | Brian Fitzpatrick |
| 2nd | 69% | 28% | Brendan Boyle |
| 3rd | 88% | 9% | Dwight Evans |
| 4th | 56% | 40% | Madeleine Dean |
| 5th | 60% | 37% | Mary Gay Scanlon |
| 6th | 51% | 45% | Chrissy Houlahan |
| 7th | 48% | 47% | Susan Wild |
| 8th | 46% | 49% | Matt Cartwright |
| 9th | 32% | 63% | Dan Meuser |
| 10th | 42% | 53% | Scott Perry |
| 11th | 34% | 62% | Lloyd Smucker |
| 12th | 28% | 67% | Fred Keller |
| 13th | 24% | 71% | John Joyce |
| 14th | 35% | 61% | Guy Reschenthaler |
| 15th | 26% | 70% | Glenn Thompson |
| 16th | 37% | 58% | Mike Kelly |
| 17th | 47% | 48% | Conor Lamb |
| 18th | 62% | 34% | Mike Doyle |