Treasurer (state executive office)
In the United States, the treasurer of a state is the official charged with overseeing revenue and finances and generally acting as the state's chief banker. Every state in the United States has a treasurer, though some have a different official title for the office. In New York and Texas there is no treasurer -- instead, those duties are performed by the controller.
Most states elect the treasurer; of those states, it is common for treasurer to be a constitutional executive office. Some states, however, treat the position as a member of the governor's cabinet, thus making the position a gubernatorial appointment.
As opposed to treasurers in the corporate world, state treasurers are often elected partisan offices who administer various programs and have control over financial decisions without being involved in the highly detailed day-to-day bookkeeping and accounting.
In some states, the treasurer may share financial duties with a comptroller, a chief financial officer or an auditor. Areas that often fall under a treasurer's job description include:
- Debt management and debt policy
- Disaster preparation
- Pension fund administration
- Oversight to prevent fraud with public money
- Payroll matters for public employees
- Investing public funds and managing portfolios
Method of selection
The position of treasurer is an elected office in 36 out of the 48 states where it exists. In the remaining 12 states, the position is appointed. In eight of those states the power of appointment is given to the governor, while in the remaining four the state legislature is empowered to select a treasurer.
Partisan affiliation
The position of treasurer is nonpartisan in 12 states. The position is held by a Republican in 24 states and by a Democrat in 12. Texas and New York do not have this office.
Compensation
According to compensation figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for a state treasurer is $222,252 in Tennessee while the lowest is $70,000 in Arizona. To view the compensation of a specific state treasurer, hover your mouse cursor over the state.
Political parties
The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties of the state executive office of treasurer. For other state executive offices, click here.
| Office |  Democratic
|
 Republican
|
 Independent
|
Nonpartisan | Vacant | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treasurer | 12 | 24 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 48 |
| Counts current as of August 2024. If you see an error, please email us. | ||||||
Current officeholders
List of current treasurers
List of current state treasurers in the United States:
Election history
2024
- See also: State executive official elections, 2024
Ten states are holding elections for treasurer in 2024:
2023
- See also: State executive official elections, 2023
Three states held elections for treasurer in 2023:
2022
- See also: State executive official elections, 2022
Twenty-six states held elections for treasurer in 2022.
2021
- See also: State executive official elections, 2021
No state held elections for treasurer in 2021.
2020
- See also: State executive official elections, 2020
Nine states held elections for treasurer in 2020:
2019
- See also: State executive official elections, 2019
Three states held elections for treasurer in 2019:
2018
- See also: State executive official elections, 2018
Twenty-five states held elections for treasurer in 2018.
2017
One state held an election for treasurer in 2017:
2016
- See also: Treasurer elections, 2016
Nine states held elections for treasurer in 2016:
2015
- See also: State executive official elections, 2015
Three states were holding elections for treasurer in 2015: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. Allison Ball (R) was elected in Kentucky, incumbent Lynn Fitch (R) was re-elected in Mississippi, and incumbent John Neely Kennedy (R) was re-elected in Louisiana.
2014
- Main article: State executive official elections, 2014
Twenty-five states held regularly scheduled treasurer elections in the 2014 electoral cycle:
2013
There were no state treasurer elections in 2013.
2012
- Main article: State executive official elections, 2012
Nine states held treasurer elections in the 2012 electoral cycle: Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Going into the November 6 elections, Democrats held seven of the seats up and Republicans held two. No seats changed party hands.
2011
- See also: State executive official elections, 2011
Three states, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, held scheduled elections for treasurer in the 2011 electoral cycle. Two of the seats that were up for election were held by a Republican while another was held by a Democrat. Only one incumbent treasurer, Mississippi's Tate Reeves, did not run for re-election in 2011.
See also
- State executive offices
- State executive official elections, 2022
- State executive official elections, 2023
- State executive official elections, 2024
External links
- National Association of State Treasurers
- Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada
Footnotes
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