A second candidate has qualified to run for Treasurer.
Republican David McRae will make another run at the office after he lost the primary to current Treasurer Lynn Fitch in 2015. Fitch is now running for Attorney General, and McRae is aiming to replace her.
He will now oppose fellow Republican Buck Clarke in the race. Clarke serves as a Senator in the Mississippi Legislature and he is also a certified public accountant.
Related: Buck Clarke announces run for Treasurer
In a news release, McRae stated that he is running to protect and grow the state’s financial resources and investments, and that his business background makes him the ideal candidate.
“Mississippi taxpayers deserve a Treasurer who’ll seek not just to maintain the state treasury, but help grow our resources through wise investments and proactive management,” McRae said. “Like our President, I’m not a professional politician, but a businessman, constantly seeking ways to improve processes, find new investment opportunities and ensure our hard-earned dollars go further.”
The managing partner of McRae Investments laid out the platform he intends to run his campaign on.
- Improve investment returns of the college savings program
- Ensure our debt payments are made on time to protect our credit rating
- Safeguard taxpayer dollars by lowering interest costs on debt, working to shrink the size of government, and operate the Treasurer’s office more efficiently
- Aggressively seek out Mississippians with unclaimed property to return those funds to our citizens
- Find ways to save taxpayer dollars that will free up more funding for investments in public education and infrastructure
“In addition to growing Mississippi’s investments, I want to leverage the Treasurer’s office to provide even more accountability and oversight when it comes to our state’s bonds and economic incentive packages,” McRae said. “As states must compete more and more for business and industrial projects using taxpayer-funded incentives, it’s incumbent upon elected officials, including the Treasurer, to help ensure these investments stand the test of time.”
McRae released the following campaign ad along with his announcement.
McRae is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, he currently lives in Ridgeland with his wife, Katie, and their three children.
