Democrat DiZoglio wins Mass. state auditor race

Diana DiZoglio will be the next state auditor of Massachusetts.

The Democrat and former state senator beat out her biggest opponent, Republican Anthony Amore, for the critical watchdog role, according to an election call from The Associated Press early Wednesday. Amore also conceded the race Tuesday night.

While earlier polls favored DiZoglio and her fellow Democrats running for top state offices, the auditor race was closely watched despite the lack of candidate name recognition and challenges tied to public awareness of the position.

Amore, head of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, was seen as a rarer Republican statewide candidate in that he represented a moderate and anti-Trump conservative voice that state GOP party operatives appeared increasingly less willing to support — even in blue Massachusetts.

DiZoglio ran on a progressive platform that promised, among other initiatives, that the auditor's office under her leadership would conduct a safety review of the embattled MBTA system and examine equity within the state's marijuana industries. She repeatedly said she'd work to increase public transparency of state agencies.  She was endorsed by several unions, including the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

DiZoglio will succeed longtime state Auditor Suzanne Bump, who, after more than a decade in office, opted not to seek re-election and left a wide-open contest this year for the role. Bump was the first woman to serve in the role, meaning DiZoglio will be the second woman ever to hold the title.

Three third-party candidates — Gloria Caballero-Roca, of the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts; Libertarian Daniel Riek; and Dominic Giannone III, a Workers Party member — also competed on the ballot in the state auditor race.

As state senator for the 1st Essex District, DiZoglio currently represents several towns and cities along or near the North Shore, including Amesbury, Haverhill, Methuen, Newburyport and North Andover. Democrat Pavel Payano is the sole candidate running to succeed her in Tuesday's election.