There are seven races for statewide offices on this year’s General Election ballot. Two Republicans are competing in the June 8th primary for their party’s nomination to be state treasurer. The current state treasurer is Michael Fitzgerald of Waukee, a Democrat who has held the post for 28 years.
Two Republicans who hold local government positions are running for the chance to challenge Fitzgerald in November. Candidate James Heavens was elected mayor of Dyersville in 2003 and he won reelection in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Heavens touts the tax climate in Dyersville, where property tax rates have declined. Heavens says the state’s is slipping into a fiscal and moral abyss and that’s why he is running.
The other candidate in this race, David Jamison, a former Marine who has been the treasurer of Story County for 16 years. He touts the efficiency of his county office, where it takes just one day to process a tax payment compared to the month-long process that was in place when he became county treasurer.
Both candidates have blasted the current state treasurer for a lack of oversight of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System which is known as IPERS. The state treasurer is a member of the IPERS investment board. IPERS recently lost about $300-million in an investment placed with a California firm.