Republican Nominee for State Auditor, Minnesota
By Rebecca Horvath, Tennessee
State auditor might not be an office everyone is familiar with, but the role is vital in overseeing local government spending via audits, reporting and reviews.
Pam Myhra is a candidate for state auditor in Minnesota, one of 24 states that elect an individual to the position. The state auditor is a constitutional office of the executive branch; if elected, Myhra will be the first Republican to hold the office in twelve years.
As a certified public accountant and former audit manager for an international public accounting firm, Myhra says she’s uniquely qualified for the job. Interestingly, the position has never been held by a CPA.
“I’m running to bring accountability and transparency to the office,” Myhra says. She believes the auditor should take a non-partisan approach to the job, independent of the politics that often plague such offices. She pledges, “I will work for taxpayers, providing oversight of their money in all local governments.”
Myhra also has experience in elected office: she was a state representative from 2011 to 2014, having unseated a popular Democrat incumbent in part by personally knocking on 12,000 doors. She is endorsed by the Minnesota GOP.
Myhra currently serves as president of the Minnesota Federation of Republican Women. “I have absolutely loved the time I’ve spent with these women, seeing their passion and dedication to service,” she says of her Federation experience. With Myhra at the helm, Minnesota’s Federated clubs have doubled in number and have seen a 27 percent increase in campaign volunteer hours.
On a personal note, Myhra and her husband, Chuck, have been married for 37 years and live in Burnsville. They raised three homeschooled children, two of whom followed in their mother’s footsteps to become CPAs.
The office of state auditor has sometimes been a springboard to higher office. In fact, two former state auditors have gone on to become governors of Minnesota. Pam Myhra doesn’t try to predict the future, but says, “Fifteen years ago, I never would’ve guessed I would run for office and enjoy it; I’m focused on winning in November, but I won’t rule out anything down the road. It’s fun to just see where life leads.”
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