State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta wins Democratic primary for auditor general against Mark Pinsley

Malcolm Kenyatta, a state representative who represents North Philadelphia, defeated Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in the Democratic race for state auditor general on Tuesday.

He will take on Republican incumbent Timothy DeFoor in the November general election.

The auditor general is the state’s fiscal watchdog, responsible for reviewing government departments and checking how public dollars are spent. DeFoor was elected in 2020 and did not face a GOP primary opponent this year.

The 100 or so people who crowded into a rock-walled basement party venue inside the Divine Lorraine Hotel in North Philadelphia had every expectation that Kenyatta would win the primary.

Still, when Kenyatta swept into the club to the theme from Rocky, the group was shot through with electricity, their hero finally in their midst.

”Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Kenyatta said, excited but seemingly not surprised by a triumph that had been widely predicted. He added, “I want to thank all the people who didn’t support my campaign. Sometimes, we forget what we did all this for. It was to make life better for working people who’ve given up on the political process.”

In his victory speech, Kenyatta criticized DeFoor for denying the results of the 2020 presidential election, going on to say that he relished the chance to debate.

“I am confident that when voters look at our record, they will choose me to be their next auditor general.”

In a giddy moment of victory, Kenyatta’s husband, Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, turned to his spouse and said, “I love you and I’m so proud of you. And congratulations!”

Despite lacking a background in auditing, Kenyatta argued in his campaign that his experience on Pennsylvania House committees that oversee state agencies prepared him for the job. He proposed bringing back school bureau audits and creating a bureau focused on employee misclassification.

That can include, for instance, identifying actual employees as “independent contractors. Employers who misclassify employees may be violating wage, tax, and employment laws.

Kenyatta was the first openly gay Black man to serve in the General Assembly, and was one of the youngest members ever elected when he won his seat in 2018 at age 28. He unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2022.

In addition to his bid for auditor general, Kenyatta is running for his House seat. He is likely to win that seat, but would need to resign from the House if he becomes auditor general.

Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.