It's a good campaign slogan: Vote Mathew Pitsch. Both names are spelled wrong.
Actually, he gave us that one himself. A more down-to-Earth kind of guy would be hard to find. Not to spend too much time on his opponent, but Arkansans like their politicians down-to-Earth, and their state treasurers with fewer problems in their personal financial history.
Not for nothing, but the current term-limited state treasurer has endorsed Mathew Pitsch. In a primary. That doesn't happen often. But there's more: The governor, Republican Asa Hutchinson, and more than 60 legislators have endorsed Mathew Pitsch, too. In a primary. That never happens. Or almost never.
Mathew Pitsch has served in the Legislature for years, so that's why so many lawmakers have come to know him. He's a colleague. He's chaired committees and been a majority leader. And in his time in office he's been amazed (his word) at the budget.
"I fell in love with the massiveness of the budget. That just fascinates me."
He says he has no problem with the current state of the Treasurer's Office, or the job Dennis Milligan has done over the years. In fact, he says he hasn't met anybody who has. But if he's elected, he'll go into the office and ... . "Everyone gets an interview. I've managed companies. I will come in, I will talk about continued improvement" with the employees of the office.
Not that he wants to clean house, he says, "but you always want to know you're doing the best you can. We [won't] cut-slash-fire people, but we'll find out what they do."
The Arkansas treasurer serves as the state's banker. And manages a $6 billion investment porfolio. That's $6 billion of your money, Arkansas Taxpayer. We need steady hands on that money. And steady hands in the office of Treasurer.
"People have no clue how much goes on there," Mr. Pitsch told us. "It's an amazing, fascinating place."
Well, let's hope he thinks so.
We recommend, in the Republican primary for state Treasurer, a vote FOR Mathew Pitsch.