Colorado’s office of state treasurer seems to gain significance as time goes on, partly because some, such as its current occupant, Walker Stapleton, have used it as a stepping stone – in Stapleton’s case, to his candidacy for governor.
Vying to replace him are Dave Young, a Democrat and former teacher who has spent the last seven years in the Colorado Legislature representing Weld County, and Brian Watson, a Republican and businessman, originally from the Western Slope and now the Denver area.
This is a race between the insider and the outsider to determine who will be a state watchdog, guiding investments worth about $6 billion, serving on the board of the Public Employees Retirement Association and managing unclaimed property, among other duties.
Watson has had an apparently successful career as a real-estate investor and says he’ll bring that same energy to the treasurer’s post. He’s also had some problems with tax arrears, although he assured us those are all behind him now. He has a winning, upbeat attitude and we like that he has strong connections to this part of the state.
Young is coming at the job from the vantage of the Legislature, essentially. His service there includes four years on the Joint Budget Committee, which he points to, rightly in our view, as good preparation for the treasurer’s role because he’s had to work across the aisle and pragmatically to keep the budget balanced while aiming for progress in how the state invests in its people. “It’s not just numbers,” he told us, “it’s real human values that we’re addressing.”
We vote for Dave Young for treasurer.