Treasurer candidates stress qualifications

Quick, name the state treasurer.

Many Utahns probably don't know that Republican Ed Alter will have served in the elected office for 28 years when his final term ends in January — if they even realize the state has a treasurer.

But thanks to this year's heated race for the GOP nomination for treasurer, the post is becoming harder to overlook.

Candidate Richard Ellis, the current chief deputy state treasurer, is accusing his primary opponent, Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, of trying to bribe him to leave the race by offering to let him keep his job at a much higher salary. Walker denies the allegations.

An attempt by Ellis to force Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, the state's chief election officer, to decide before Tuesday's election whether the allegations should be referred to the Attorney General's Office, ended up before the Utah Supreme Court.

The court denied Ellis' request shortly after hearing arguments in the case, so Ellis has taken his allegations directly to Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. Walker is preparing his own elections complaint against Ellis, according to his campaign manager, Steve Hunter.

Both candidates, however, say there's more for voters to consider than the controversy.

Ellis, 48, stresses his years of experience in government finance, including overseeing the budget for two Republican governors, Olene Walker and Jon Huntsman Jr., after six years as chief deputy state treasurer. He returned to the No. 2 spot in the office in 2006.

A private sector job in investment banking early on in his career wasn't a good fit with his personality, Ellis said.

"It was more of a sales job, wining and dining customers," he said. "I found out that wasn't me."

He's also uncomfortable with the politics surrounding his government positions.

"I find that frustrating. By nature, I'm not political," Ellis said, describing his role as an overseer of government finances as laying out options for policymakers. "I try to take politics out of it, although politics always comes into play."

Walker, 32, emphasizes his private sector experience, especially what he learned as a salesman for Zions Bank. In that position, he was responsible for getting local governments to invest in the bank's financial products rather than the state treasurer's fund.

"I come from the private sector, where you're judged on exactly what you do," Walker said.