Vivek Malek, St. Louis attorney and business owner, tapped as Missouri state treasurer

JEFFERSON CITY — Vivek Malek, a St. Louis attorney and business owner, was appointed Missouri's next treasurer Tuesday, making him the first person of color to hold statewide elected office in Missouri history.

Malek, whose firm focuses on immigration and business law, will take office January to succeed Scott Fitzpatrick, the current treasurer who won the November race for state auditor. Born in India before coming to southeast Missouri as an international student, he touted his life and experiences as proof that "the American dream is alive and well."

"Anyone who has forgotten need only realize his or her God-given potential," Malek said. "Only in this great land of freedom and liberty does it not matter who your parents are or what your ethnicity is in determining your success."

Parson, who also appointed a new attorney general last month, said his office had interviewed "a lot of great candidates" and landed on Malek, who has not held elected office but was appointed in 2020 to the board of governors for Southeast Missouri State University, his alma mater. He praised Malek's work among minority communities in Missouri, as well as his beliefs — calling him a "proud Republican and strong capitalist" with "unimpeachable" conservative principles.

"When Vivek came to this country, he wasn't given any handouts, and didn't ask for any," Parson said. "State government is all about hand-ups, not handouts, and that is something Vivek has worked for throughout his entire career."

As treasurer, Malek will be the state's chief financial officer — overseeing the state's coffers, protecting taxpayers from fraud and financial abuse, and managing a number of financial programs run by the state. He will take charge of an office of approximately 50 employees. Parson said that among Malek's top priorities will be to retain Missouri's "AAA" bond rating — the highest rating issued by major agencies.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat, congratulated Malek on his appointment but said it was disappointing that the governor had not appointed a person of color sooner.

"Missouri is a diverse state with a diverse pool of qualified candidates who merited more consideration than the governor had shown with his previous statewide appointments," Quade said in a statement.

Malek will serve a partial term before the treasurer's office is up for re-election in 2024. He said Tuesday he intended to run for re-election, and Parson said Malek would have his support when he did so. Both Malek and Andrew Bailey, Parson's general counsel who will take over the attorney general's office in January, will be political newcomers who may face more experienced primary challengers in the Republican Party.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Attorney Vivek Malek named Missouri's next state treasurer