Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic primary for Pa. auditor general | Endorsement

Pennsylvania’s row offices can be somewhat opaque to voters, but in the right hands, they can deliver substantive progress for residents.

As attorney general, Josh Shapiro took on problems ranging from ensuring access to medical care to holding opioid manufacturers accountable. Former state Treasurer Joe Torsella took on wasteful practices at PSERS, the state’s pension fund for teachers and other school employees. Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale shed light on everything from diverted money at PennDot to issues at the Department of Education.

In the Democratic primary for auditor general, only one candidate possesses the ability to utilize the office to its full capacity: Malcolm Kenyatta.

Kenyatta, 33, who is the first openly LGBT Black state representative in the commonwealth’s history, is well-known throughout the city as an effective activist and eloquent advocate for working families, like the one in which he was reared. If elected to the office, Kenyatta has promised to support public education and hold government accountable.

Still, when The Inquirer Editorial Board met with Kenyatta, there seemed to be a difference in energy when compared with his primary run for Senate in 2022. In that election, Kenyatta was an upstart facing off against the state’s lieutenant governor and a congressman with strong backing from Democratic Party officials. While he did not win that race, he won plaudits and impressed onlookers with his passionate campaigning. His political future seemed bright.

The heart that clearly motivated that campaign is harder to find this time around. Instead, Kenyatta — who has collected endorsements from state and local Democratic Party organizations, cementing him as the clear front-runner for the nomination — gave off an air of ennui, if not indifference.

Should Kenyatta secure the nomination, one of the most contentious issues in the primary race against Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley could undermine his efforts in the general election. In footage captured from a Ring video camera, Kenyatta can be heard telling voters that Pinsley is bigoted against Black people, though he offered no evidence.

More troubling than making such a baseless allegation, however, was Kenyatta’s refusal to apologize for doing so. During an interview with the Editorial Board, Kenyatta stood by his earlier statements about Pinsley, and said that they were justified by comments his opponent made that a Republican-proposed legislative map was an attempt to create a “ghetto.”

While some activists on social media took issue with his choice of words, Pinsley, who is Jewish, insisted that he was referring to “ghetto” in the sense of its linguistic roots as a reference to the forced segregation of Jews, rather than as a pejorative statement about African Americans. Importantly, Pinsley also apologized for any offense he caused.

Kenyatta should do the same. If Kenyatta wins the April 23 primary, it is all but certain that state Republicans will seize on the statement to raise questions about his fitness for office — and unlike Pinsley, Republican incumbent Tim DeFoor, who is seeking a second term in November, has a well-resourced campaign that’s capable of amplifying the comment.

Still, despite this miscue, Kenyatta is clearly the stronger candidate. Pinsley, while well-meaning and deeply versed in accounting practices, struggled to make the primary ballot and had some of his petition signatures identified as forgeries. Against an incumbent Republican, that’s unlikely to be enough.

The Inquirer endorses Malcolm Kenyatta for auditor general.