Who is running for Arizona treasurer? What to know about Kimberly Yee and Martín Quezada

This November, Arizonans have two choices for state treasurer: Republican Kimberly Yee and Democrat Martín Quezada.

The treasurer is responsible for the state's banking and investment management duties while also having oversight of the Permanent Land Endowment.

Other duties of the office include management of tax revenue funds and provision of investments and appropriations to state agencies. The Treasurer's Office also helps local governments with their investments.

The current treasurer, Kimberly Yee, is running for a second term for the office after withdrawing from the governor's race during the primary earlier this year.

Here's what to know about the candidates.

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Republican candidate: Kimberly Yee

Yee was a late entrant into the treasurer's race. She struggled to stand out in a crowded field of GOP candidates hoping to replace Gov. Doug Ducey in the Governor's Office and instead dropped out of that race and sought reelection to her current post, defeating two opponents in the primary.

Yee has pledged to use a second term in office to battle the Biden administration, which Republicans nationwide have blamed for a surge in inflation. Last year, she said the Biden administration was responsible for the "harmful boycott of reliable energy companies." This was in regard to calls from the Biden administration last year to stop providing loans to coal, oil, and natural gas companies.

Yee said the value of the state's invested assets gained $11 billion in the three years she has served in office.

"I am proud of this historic record growth under my watch, which means less taxes and more money for Arizonans," Yee said. "I have transformed this office on a platform of financial education, growth and prosperity across the state."

Yee gained attention last September for selling off the state's shares in Unilever, the parent company of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's, saying the company was engaged in a boycott of Israel and in violation of state law.

Earlier this month, Yee said her office ignores ESG (environmental, social and governance) scores, saying that they are an "attack" on the U.S. economy and placed responsibility for the increased gas prices on the finance industry. ESG scores are commonly used by analysts and investors to calculate non-traditional risks to investments.

Yee was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2011, then the Arizona Senate in 2013. She became treasurer in 2018 and is the first Asian American person to hold statewide office.

Democratic candidate: Martín Quezada

Martín Quezada — a Phoenix native — has served in the Arizona Senate since 2015. He was the only Democrat who ran for treasurer in the August primary.

As treasurer, Quezada wants to protect state investments from political intervention, advocate for health care for all, implement strong public education and affordable housing. He wants to ensure that these values are "represented when managing and investing our taxpayer dollars."

Before serving in the state Senate, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. His campaign website states that he "fought for Medicare expansion, worked to protect state employee benefits and has been an unapologetic advocate for worker’s rights."

During the televised debate between Quezada and Yee earlier this month, Quezada talked about the importance of ESG scores to analyze risk in investments and how major companies around the globe use these scores.

Quezada has worked as an attorney and served a judicial clerkship for Judge Patricia Orozco on the Arizona Court of Appeals from 2008 to 2009. Quezada also has served on the Pendergast Elementary School District Governing Board since 2010.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ treasurer's race: What to know about Kimberly Yee, Martin Quezada