What to know about Aaron Richardson, the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin state treasurer

Aaron Richardson is the Democratic nominee for state treasurer. He was elected by a narrow margin during the primary election and has been vocal in his advocacy for the treasurer’s office to take a larger role in state government.

Richardson, the mayor of Fitchburg, will compete against Republican nominee John Leiber to replace current Treasurer Sarah Godlewski.

Here is a look at Richardson as he heads into the general election this fall.

What are the duties of the treasurer?

In Wisconsin, the state treasurer has one duty: to be a member of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which manages 80,000 acres and a $1.3 billion trust fund and dispenses budget-allocated funding to public schools.  

Treasurers also may promote Wisconsin's unclaimed property program — an initiative based on a state law that requires businesses to provide all unclaimed money to the Department of Revenue to assist Wisconsinites searching for unclaimed assets. 

Wisconsin's treasurer's office once played a much more active role in state government and the executive branch, but its powers were gradually whittled away by the Legislature. In 2003, for instance, the treasurer lost control of debt management. Fourteen years later in 2017, the Legislature moved to abolish the 170-year-old treasurer's office entirely but a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment seeking to do the same failed by a wide margin in 2018.

Due to a decadeslong effort to erode its powers, Wisconsin is home to one of the weakest treasurer's offices in the nation.

The state treasurer's salary is $72,551, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Richardson hails from a Democratic stronghold

Richardson has served as the mayor of Fitchburg for three years, drawing on support and name recognition in deep blue Dane County, a region of the state where high turnout will be essential for Democratic victories in November.

Richardson earned a business degree from UW-Green Bay and his MBA from UW-Whitewater. Though he lives and works in the greater Madison area, Richardson has emphasized his time in Green Bay and relatives near La Crosse as evidence of his potential appeal to wider swaths of voters.

Richardson has experience in local government and education

Prior to his election as mayor of Fitchburg, Richardson served on the city council and the parks and recreation commission. He also worked in tech support for the Oregon School District. Richardson has capitalized on his work managing the Fitchburg budget and operating in a public school setting as experiences that prepare him to manage a multibillion-dollar trust fund and distribute cash to state schools.

What are Richardson’s notable policy positions?

Richardson voiced a desire to wield the treasurer’s office as an instrument to improve statewide financial literacy and expand investments in solar energy.

He has also signaled support for implementing a program piloted in Fitchburg during his tenure as mayor that allows local government to purchase housing, rent living spaces out to tenants for a discounted price and allocate a portion of each month’s rent to a down payment on the residences, providing renters an opportunity to purchase the spaces for themselves.

Why did Richardson enter the race?

Richardson said he threw his hat in the ring for state treasurer to build upon work started by Godlewski and implement programs such as the Fitchburg housing initiative and perusing similarly lofty green energy goals statewide as the plan to rely on 85% renewable sources in Fitchburg by 2025.

How popular is Richardson?

Richardson’s popularity statewide is difficult to gauge, as he won his primary by just under 9,000 votes. He was elected mayor of Fitchburg by a margin of almost 60% in 2019 and won reelection overwhelmingly in 2020.

How do I contact Aaron Richardson?

Richardson can be reached by calling the mayor’s office at 608-270-4215.