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What’s at stake in this race
As the state’s chief banker, the treasurer manages and invests unspent taxpayer money and oversees the state’s borrowing and debts. Though much of the work is technical, the official can make policy waves by launching new financial initiatives or influencing where the state invests its extra cash.
The candidates
Jennifer Hawks
Party: Republican
Retired businessperson
Hawks doesn’t have experience in elected office, a fact she touts proudly. The Silicon Valley retiree most recently served on the executive team at Sacred Heart Schools, an Atherton Catholic school favored by the Bay Area’s venture capitalist elite. Hawks is also a local Republican Party activist. Both her career background and her politics make her an outlier for a job that has been exclusively held by Democratic career politicians going on three decades. Hawks said that gives her the skills and independence to provide a check on state government.
Key endorsements
More voter resources:
- Candidate website
- Full list of endorsements available on campaign homepage
Eleni Kounalakis
Party: Democrat
California lieutenant governor
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With two terms as lieutenant governor under her belt, Kounalakis has plenty of experience on state boards — a big feature of the treasurer post. On both the UC Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees for the California State University system, she has regularly voted against proposed tuition increases. Kounalakis comes to politics by way of fundraising. The daughter of Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopolous, Kounalakis was a big spender in Democratic Party politics in the early 2000s and was named ambassador to Hungary under President Barack Obama.
Key endorsements
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