Auditor
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Pat (Patrice) McCarthy (D) | 1,427,250 | 52.51% |
| Mark Miloscia (R) | 1,290,834 | 47.49% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Race
The winner will replace embattled incumbent Troy Kelly, who opted not to run for a second term as a result of a federal investigation into a business deal he was involved in before he took office.
The choices to replace him are Democrat Pat McCarthy and Mark Miloscia, a Republican legislator who previously was a Democrat.
Both said they have the experience needed to do the job. She is a former Pierce County auditor who has administered one of the state’s largest county governments. He is a legislator and said he strived to instill efficiency and ethics in state operations.
McCarthy’s endorsements include former Gov. Chris Gregoire and Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton. Miloscia’s backers include former Attorney General Rob McKenna and former Secretary of State Sam Reed.
McCarthy said that far from jeopardizing her independence, her detailed knowledge of government’s inner workings gives her an understanding crucial in the auditor’s position.
Miloscia, who chairs the Senate Accountability and Reform Committee, ran for auditor as a Democrat in 2012 but lost to Kelley in the primary. He said he wants to encourage agencies to adopt management tools that help them move “from good or mediocre or horrible to great.” In his vision, the size of the auditor’s office would shrink because agencies would be catching problems in advance.
The Candidates
Pat (Patrice) McCarthy
- Party:
- Democratic
- Age:
- 70
- City:
- Tacoma, Washington
Education: Graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, California in 1972. Earned her bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of Washington in Tacoma in 1992.
Work experience: Former chief deputy auditor for Pierce County. Former administrator and adviser for the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program at the UW-Tacoma.
Political experience: Elected to State Auditor in 2016. Served as a Pierce County Executive from 2009 to 2016. Served as the Pierce County Auditor from 2003 to 2008. Served as the Tacoma School Director from 1987 to 1999.
Family: Married to John McCarthy. Has four children and 11 grandchildren.
Mark Miloscia
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 65
- City:
- Federal Way, Washington
Education: Graduated from Francis Lewis High School in Flushing, New York in 1976. Earned bachelor’s degree in engineering at the Air Force Academy. Earned master’s in business administration at the University of North Dakota. Earned master’s in clinical psychology from Chapman University.
Work experience: Served in Air Force from 1976-1990; was a B-52 pilot and contract manager for Boeing’s B-1 program while in the military. Worked in management at Tacoma Goodwill for eight years in the 1990s. Served briefly as the interim executive director of Federal Way Youth and Family Services in 2000. Substitute teacher at Auburn School District. Former substitute teacher for Federal Way Public Schools and the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese.
Political experience: Elected state senator in 2014 as a Republican and served until 2019. Served as state representative as a Democrat from 1999 until 2013. Served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Accountability and Reform. Served as commissioner of the Lakehaven Utility District in late 1990s.
Family: Married to Meschell Miloscia. Has three children.
Campaign contributions: Raised $53,690, as of July 8. Top contributors include Mary Miloscia and Joseph Miloscia, of St. Louis; Larry Sundquist, home builder of Adamant Homes; George Petrie, of Goodman Real Estate; and James Mischel, CEO of Electric Mirror.
Complete Coverage
Different experiences provide contrast in auditor’s race
SEATTLE – One is a state senator with a background in conducting audits. The other runs one of Washington’s biggest county governments. So which kind of experience is more important in the Washington state auditor’s race between Republican Sen. Mark Miloscia and Democratic Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy?
Candidates for Washington state auditor vow to restore credibility
SEATTLE – Restoring the credibility of the Washington State Auditor’s Office tops the list of priorities for those seeking to replace departing Auditor Troy Kelley, whose term was marred by his federal fraud indictment and seven-month leave of absence. Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy, state Sen. Mark Miloscia and Seattle lawyer Jeff Sprung are the leading candidates to replace Kelley. Forensic accountant Mark Wilson, of Bellevue, and engineer David Golden, of Spokane, are also running but have raised little to no money.
Pat McCarthy is safe choice for state auditor
After the Kelley fiasco, we hope voters play it safe. The candidate with the best track record in public office management is Pat McCarthy, and she gets our endorsement.