Scott Jensen has won the GOP primary for Minnesota State Auditor.
(FOX 9) - Scott Jensen has won the GOP nomination for Minnesota State Auditor. The former state senator and family doctor who lost the 2022 governor's race to Walz beat out Air Force veteran and Braham Mayor Nate George, who was the GOP-endorsed candidate.
Minnesota State Auditor primary election results
Big picture view:
There will be a new State Auditor after the general election in November as Julie Blaha announced in September 2025 she is not seeking re-election. The State Auditor oversees the financial integrity and accountability of local governments, monitoring roughly $60 billion in local spending across cities, counties, towns, and special districts.
The auditor’s race is the closest Republicans have come to winning a statewide race in the last 20 years. Blaha beat Ryan Wilson four years ago, but only by about 8,400 votes.
Tuesday’s primary features one race, and it’s on the Republican side between Nate George and Scott Jensen. Elliot Engen had filed for the race, but withdrew after a March 27, 2026 arrest for DWI.
George has been the mayor of Braham since 2023 and won the GOP endorsement. He’s an Air Force combat veteran and is now the Director of Licensing & Investigations for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. According to his campaign website, George says his mission as State Auditor is to bring transparency to government spending, so taxpayers can see how their money is used and why. He aims to uphold accuracy to public financing, safeguard Minnesota’s resources, promote efficient budgeting and prevent waste to keep Minnesota’s future strong.
Find live results below.
Who is Scott Jensen?
Dig deeper:
Jensen is a Sleepy Eye native and earned a medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He was a state senator in District 47, assuming office in 2017. He left office on Jan. 5 of 2021. Jensen is perhaps most known for being the GOP nominee for governor in 2022, ultimately losing the race to Tim Walz. Jensen, who dropped out of the 2026 governor’s race in February, is running to combat the war on waste, fraud and abuse.
Zach Filipovich wins Democratic nomination
The other side:
Zack Filipovich is the presumptive candidate on the DFL side.
The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results and FOX 9 reporting.