By Elena Alessi, Contributing Writer

With 97 percent of the vote reported, Republican John Maher easily defeated his Republican opponent, former state Senate staffer Frank Pinto, in Tuesday’s Auditor General primary.  Maher earned 66 percent of the vote and will face Eugene DePasquale, a state representative from York County who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election this November.

“Today, voters declared loud and clear Pennsylvania deserves an Auditor as Auditor General,” Maher, a certified public accountant and state representative from Allegheny County, said Tuesday night.  He ran on the campaign slogan of “The CPA for PA,” and used his fiscal experience to rally support.

Pinto, who hails from Dauphin County, also served as President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers for 25 years.

Maher and DePasquale will compete to succeed current Auditor General Jack Wagner, who could not seek reelection due to term limits.