Republican Tim DeFoor made history in Pennsylvania this morning, as he was declared the winner in the race for state auditor general and thus became the first Black holder of the powerful office.
No sooner had he been called the winner by The Associated Press than DeFoor was immediately talked of as a candidate for governor or to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in 2022.
In near-final results Friday morning, Dauphin County Controller DeFoor edged out progressive Democrat Nina Ahmad by a margin of 51% to 49%.
Ahmad is a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia who emphasized issues such as climate change and healthcare.
In contrast, DeFoor focused on his background as a conservative reformer and vowed to streamline and successfully keep the Keystone State’s books.
A former special agent who has served in the state attorney general's office and worked as a special investigator for the state inspector general's office, DeFoor established the first audit division of the county controller's office. This, he points out, saved taxpayers over $1 million since January 2016.
DeFoor emphasized that the primary work of the auditor general is keeping the state's books in order, and that "is what I do in Dauphin County."
On President Donald Trump, DeFoor told us "he's done some really good things, but I wish he would stop tweeting."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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