Treasurer – About the Office & our Endorsed Candidate
8th Ward ENDORSED CANDIDATE
FOR TREASURER
Ryan BIZZARRO
The 8th Ward endorses State Representative Ryan Bizzarro for Treasurer because he is the best prepared and best equipped Democrat to win back the Treasurer seat from the Republicans who won it in 2020.
Endorsed by the PA Democratic Party State Committee, Representative Ryan Bizzarro has a proven track record of beating Republicans as a House Rep in Erie, Pennsylvania. Ryan has overwhelming campaign support, both volunteer and financial, from throughout the Commonwealth. If Ryan wins the Primary, we know he will campaign hard for Biden and the whole Democratic slate in the November 2024 election – especially in the deep Red areas of Northwest Pennsylvania.
Ryan currently serves as Pennsylvania’s Democratic Policy Chair and State Representative from Erie. Formerly, he served as a victim/witness advocate for Erie County’s District Attorney. Ryan has introduced legislation to expand veteran services, senior citizen services, animal rights, voting rights, first-time home buying assistance, and health care. He is a longtime supporter of our public service workforce and first responders who keep communities healthy and safe in times of need.
As a child, Ryan was diagnosed with Leukemia. The doctors told his parents, “We can only keep him comfortable until he dies.” But his parents fought for Ryan – and won. After two years of experimental treatments in a Buffalo hospital, he became cancer free.
“Like my family, Pennsylvanians are fighting their own battles for a better life. While growing up in Erie, I recognized that politicians weren’t always looking out for us, and government wasn’t always helping. That’s why I ran for public office and earned a master’s degree in public service. My public service is dedicated to putting people first — and fighting back against extreme agendas, politicians, and special interests that hurt them.”
“I take a backseat to nobody when it comes to being an advocate for working people and the labor unions who help build our country while providing workers with safer working conditions and fairer pay with benefits. Now I’m running for State Treasurer to protect Pennsylvanians. Protect our assets. Protect our pensions. Protect the programs that make a positive impact. And to protect you from Stacy Garrity. Pennsylvanians deserve a State Treasurer who serves them – and not some extreme agenda. With your help, I will be a State Treasurer who fights for you.”
*About the Office*
The incumbent Pennsylvania Treasurer is a Republican who flipped this office to RED in 2020. To flip this seat back to BLUE, we MUST nominate a Democratic Candidate who can WIN statewide in November against the Republican incumbent.
The Pennsylvania Treasurer is an independently elected head of the Treasury Department and serves as the custodian of more than $150 billion in Commonwealth funds. The Treasurer’s paramount responsibility is safeguarding and managing the state’s financial assets by controlling the disbursement of funds, along with several other specific responsibilities under Pennsylvania law and the PA Constitution. The Treasurer is responsible for the receipt and deposit of state monies, investment management, and oversight of all withdrawals and deposits from state agencies.
As Pennsylvania’s chief fiscal officer, the Treasurer also executes these additional responsibilities:
- Chairs the Board of Finance & Revenue, which selects banks to serve as depositories for state money;
- Sets interest rates paid on Commonwealth deposits; and
- Investigating loss, fraud, theft, and fraud involving Commonwealth checks;
- Hears and decides state tax appeals.
- Reuniting unclaimed property with its rightful owner;
- Reviewing real estate leases and contracts entered into by Commonwealth agencies;
- Maintaining the electronic library of Pennsylvania Contracts.
The Treasurer and Treasury Department also creates and administers programs that can provide an opportunity for financial empowerment for families, municipal governments, and non-profit groups across the state. The policies, programs, and practices of the Treasury Department can also prevent waste and poor stewardship of Pennsylvania monies on deposit in the Treasury, Pension Funds, and related programs.
*Includes adapted content from external sources.