Julie Blaha announced Thursday she will not seek another term as Minnesota state auditor. A DFLer serving her second term in the office, Blaha made the announcement in a video uploaded to social media.
“From the start, my plan was to serve a couple of terms, strengthen the [Office of the State Auditor], and leave it in a strong position for the next leader,” said Blaha. “Today, I can confidently say we’ve done that.”
According to Blaha, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) is operating at a “high level of effectiveness” and is “leading on local accountability.” The DFLer said the office is ready for a transition and she will therefore not seek reelection in 2026.
While much of the state’s political attention is focused on state legislators and the governor, the state auditor’s office largely flies under the radar. This is primarily because the office is more functionary than political.
Under Minnesota law, the state auditor is charged with auditing local governments across the state. These include cities, counties, and school districts. Meanwhile, state government agencies are audited by the Office of the Legislative Auditor.
Blaha was first elected state auditor in 2018, besting her Republican challenger by roughly six points. In 2022, she won reelection by less than half a point when challenged by Ryan Wilson, a Republican.
Prior to her time as state auditor, Blaha was a public school teacher, a labor union official, and a teachers union official. She had never held public office before being elected state auditor.
Hours after Blaha announced she would not seek reelection, State Rep. Dan Wolgamott launched his campaign to succeed her. A DFLer, Wolgamott has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019.
“I’m proud to announce my candidacy to be Minnesota’s next State Auditor,” said Wolgamott. “Over the course of my career, I have delivered big wins for first responders, teachers, and families across Minnesota – and I will continue to do that as our state’s local government watchdog.”
In 2023, Wolgamott was charged with drunk driving. Security camera video captured him exiting a liquor store and taking a swig from a bottle before driving away. He later pleaded guilty to one DWI count and a second was dismissed.
NEW: Security video shows DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott apparently taking pulls from a liquor bottle in a Mora, Minn., parking lot before his July 7 drunk driving arrest. A state patrol report says police received a complaint about an individual drinking in a liquor store parking lot. pic.twitter.com/3V6nFpGSCz
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 20, 2023
Wolgamott represents a significant portion of St. Cloud and its surrounding areas. In 2024, he won reelection by less than one point (191 votes). As such, the race for his open House seat will likely be one of the few legislative contests that will determine which party wins a majority in that chamber.
In the 2026 general election, all 201 state lawmakers in the Minnesota Legislature will be up for election. Additionally, voters will decide who they want to serve as their next governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor, and representatives in Congress.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
