State Treasurer Debate
On May 7, City Club welcomes the two Democratic primary contenders for State Treasurer, Rick Metsger and Ted Wheeler. The Treasury has numerous financial responsibilities that include managing the investment of state funds, issuing state bonds and serving as the central bank for state agencies. The two candidates will discuss their outlooks on topics such as fiscal responsibility, innovation, job creation and resource management. They will also address the recent discovery by The Oregonian that Treasury employees repeatedly claimed reimbursement for free meals and regularly exceeded allowed lodging costs.
Rick Metsger started his career as a public school teacher in Gresham and later worked as a journalist at KOIN-TV in Portland. After six years of running a successful small business, Metsger was elected to the Oregon State Senate where he is completing his third term.
Ted Wheeler earned an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University. Wheeler worked for several financial services companies before his election as Multnomah County Chair in 2007. In March, Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Wheeler as State Treasurer following the death of Ben Westlund, who previously held the position.
