Current Colorado State Treasurer Walker Stapleton has announced his intention to seek a second term. According to the Denver Post, the Republican fiscal hawk is backed by some of the most influential backers in the state – on-the-fence Democrat and lawyer Norm Brownstein and financier and Hickenlooper supporter Blair Richardson. His campaign is co-chaired by U.S. Sen. Hank Brown, former Gov. Bill Owens and Attorney General John Suthers.
As Colorado’s 43rd State Treasurer, Stapleton is perhaps best-known for sounding the alarm on the financial stability of the state’s retirement program, Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (or, PERA). The same retirement fund that, perhaps, is spurring the tax increase encouraged by greedy liberals who would hope to use the tax increase to backfill the unrealistic union promises of PERA. The Colorado Springs Gazette summed it up nicely last month in an editorial:
“We can only give thanks for one state employee who has connected the dots and blown the whistle on an upcoming scam [of PERA]. State Treasurer and former businessman Walker Stapleton – a financial genius with an MBA from Harvard and a graduate degree from London School of Economics – sees the upcoming tax proposal as a fraud on voters.”
Prior to serving as Colorado’s State Treasurer, Stapleton has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer of several publicly-traded and private companies. He’s also played a role in the Denver community, serving on the Leadership Council of J.K. Mullen High School and as a director of the Denver chapter of Social Venture Partners.
Stapleton lives in Arapahoe County with his wife Jenna, son Craig and daughter Colette.