Minnesota State Auditor: Zack Filipovich wins 2026 election

(FOX 9) - Democrat Zack Filipovich has won the election for Minnesota State Auditor, beating out Republican Dr. Scott Jensen.

Minnesota had an open State Auditor’s race for the first time since 2019, when Julie Blaha won the position. 

The Minnesota Office of the State Auditor oversees the local government finances to ensure accountability and financial integrity for the Minnesota taxpayer. The office oversees 4,300 local governments. 

FULL LIST: Minnesota 2026 election results

Minnesota State Auditor election results

Who is Zack Filipovich? 

Filipovich is an accountant from Duluth, where he was formerly the City Council President. Filipovich is running his campaign on being the only accountant in the race. 

He is looking to increase transparency and accountability when it comes to what taxpayer dollars are paying for. He is also looking to improve resource sharing and address the "critical shortage" of finance professionals in greater Minnesota. 

Filipovich wants to bring back trust from the community by holding open houses to bring transparency to what the Office of the State Auditor does. 

Who is Dr. Scott Jensen? 

Jensen is a doctor who has practiced family medicine in Carver County for 40 years. He also served on the Minnesota Senate from 2017-2021, where he served as a vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. He also served two decades on the Board of Directors of Citizens’ Alliance Bank. 

Jensen is looking to provide more oversight to stop fraud in Minnesota. He also is looking to increase accountability and transparency if he were to win the position. Additionally, Jensen is looking to conduct random and unannounced audits. 

The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results, campaign websites and previous FOX 9 reporting.