Meet the Candidates for State Treasurer Aaron Matson Democrat
I am a 4th-generation South Dakotan, and except for a couple years of seminary, I have lived in South Dakota my whole life. Before joining the South Dakota Democratic Party as the Communications Director, I was a reporter at the Watertown Public Opinion, and a Lutheran pastor in the Watertown and Brookings area. I received a Ph.D. in Political Science with a focus on Public Administration from the University of South Dakota in December of 2017.
I am running to be your State Treasurer because I believe that the political establishment has forgotten the key point about public administration and public service – it is first and foremost, about the public.
The State Treasurer doesn’t often receive the same press attention as other offices. But there are still some important things we can do from this office to make people’s lives better: • increase the transparency of the State Treasurer’s office to increase the transparency of state government as a whole, • return unclaimed property to the original owner or his/her heirs as quickly as possible, • remit city sales tax revenue back to the cities of South Dakota in a timely manner to help our cities have a stable and reliable cash flow, • work to increase financial literacy in our state, and • make smart investments in local banks through the State Treasurer’s CD program so they can invest in their communities.
The State Treasurer deals with a lot of important issues. But it's also important to remember that the work of the State Treasurer, and any elected official, is not just about lines on a budget sheet. My time as a pastor and my doctoral work in political science and public administration have driven home to me that behind every political decision and every budget line are people – who are doing their best to get by and whose lives will be impacted by those decisions. As your state treasurer, I will always remember that I serve the people of South Dakota – not a governor, not a political party, not big banks, not investment brokers – but you.
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Josh Haeder Republican
I’m blessed to have my beautiful wife Amanda and our two little girls by my side throughout this journey. As a small business owner and lifelong resident of Huron, my roots run more than a century deep in South Dakota.
My decision to run for Treasurer begins with a story of lost and found. During the course of a friendly conversation, I came to find out I had unclaimed property. Money that I had “lost” or more accurately of which I had lost track. One of the more popular jobs of the State Treasurer’s office is helping people reclaim “lost” funds — money from utilities or closed bank accounts or other ways that money didn’t get to its rightful owner.
Through that encounter, I found a new opportunity to serve our state. My background in banking and credit counseling uniquely prepared me to perform the work done by our state’s chief banking officer — our State Treasurer. My top priority and that of the office is keeping our state’s funds accounted for by daily reconciling the taxes and fees paid to state government, then making sure it’s getting to the correct agency or program. However, it’s important to realize the responsibility of the office doesn’t stop there. I believe it’s my duty to protect the people’s money.
I have a Master’s degree in Intelligence and Global Security Studies. While the internet has opened up vast opportunities, it’s also increased risks to networks, and state accounts are vulnerable. To help safeguard our state accounts, upon taking office, I would upgrade and expand the measures the office has to monitor and protect our funds from criminals intent on wrongdoing. I believe the best way to achieve this is by creating public and private partnerships. South Dakota is home to top-notch internet security experts. I think we can work together to ensure our accounts are secured. It’s a challenge, I’m prepared to lead on.
SOUTH DAKOTA MUNICIPALITIES
