Braham Mayor seeks Republican endorsement for state auditor
Braham Mayor Nate George will seek the Republican endorsement for the position of state auditor.
George will vie for the position currently held by State Auditor Julie Blaha, who will not be running for reelection in 2026.
George, who was elected mayor of Braham in November 2022, said his choice to throw his hat into the auditor’s ring was similar to how he got into local politics: He was asked.
“People tell me they like my leadership and common-sense approach to government and admire the financial turnaround we were able to make here with the city of Braham’s finances,” George said. “Our state representatives have also encouraged me to run for state office, and this would be a good fit given my experience with local finances and budgeting, auditing, state government, running government agencies, and compliance (and) regulation experience.”
George noted the primary focus of the state auditor is to audit and monitor compliance of local units of government, such as townships, cities, counties and school boards.
“They also audit and monitor compliance for state agencies that receive federal funding,” he said. “My experience relates directly to this role in many ways, from managing and overseeing the city budget and audit requirements, to leading government agencies like the city of Braham and as the director of licensing and investigations with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe – Office of Gaming Regulation & Compliance.
“I also have executive-level experience in the private sector, as well as in the military serving on a headquarters staff,” he added. “I worked for the state at the Capitol for almost six years, have over a decade of experience in my current role and previous roles with interpreting and enforcing government regulation and compliance, as well as conducting and leading criminal and administrative investigations stemming from complaints or audit findings.”