Here's where Nevada's 2026 treasurer candidates stand on the issues

Policy analyst Drew Johnson (R) and Tya Mathis-Coleman (D), a longtime staffer in incumbent Zach Conine's office, are set to square off for the treasurer's seat this November. 

As Nevada's chief banker, the treasurer is charged with overseeing state investments, maintaining records of unclaimed property and helping decide when to issue bonds. The nearly 60-person office also administers the Millennium Scholarship program, which has helped about 200,000 students afford college since it was established in the late 1990s and facilitates tax-advantaged savings programs for future college students and people with disabilities.

The role is less partisan than some of the other major state offices, such as attorney general and governor, but the candidates have still had competing visions for the office. Mathis-Coleman, who serves as deputy treasurer of college savings, said she sees the role as a natural extension of her nearly seven years spent working in the office. Meanwhile, Johnson, who founded a conservative think tank in Tennessee and formerly worked as a reporter, said that his background in the policy world will help him streamline the office and make it more efficient. 

Below, we outline the candidates' stances on top issues affecting voters. Click the subheadings to jump to a specific topic:

Divestment

The Millennium Scholarship

College Savings

The State Infrastructure Bank

Unclaimed property

Rainy day fund 

Expanding programs

Should Nevada divest from any industries?

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman said that she would prioritize making data-driven decisions on investment strategies and focus on "not losing money." Mathis-Coleman previously told The Indy that she would continue current Treasurer Zach Conine's divestment from assault weapon manufacturers and sees no reason "to go backwards" on that. 

Johnson: No. Johnson said that divestment has been Conine's "biggest failure" as treasurer and that he will "not play politics" with people's money. 

The Millennium Scholarship is not expected to cover all eligible students by next year. How do we increase funding for the scholarship? 

Mathis-Coleman: Collaboration with the Legislature. Mathis-Coleman previously told the Indy that it's important to continue to solicit funds for the program from the governor's office and Legislature. She also said that as treasurer, she will consider ways to make the scholarship more effective, including potentially providing larger scholarships to fewer students.

Johnson: Create a new fund. Johnson proposed creating a trust using the roughly $1 billion dollars the state has in unclaimed property funds. Johnson said he would put the interest from that fund toward the Millennium Scholarship and added that it would still let the state return people's money when they claim their property. The state already does have an Unclaimed Property Trust Account, but only a small part of it goes toward the  Millennium Scholarship. 

How do we increase enrollment for college savings programs, such as 529 plans and prepaid tuition, the latter of which is only enrolling about 300 people? 

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman said she would like to place an emphasis on Nevada Prepaid Tuition to make higher education more affordable and accessible. She also said she would like to increase partnerships with building trades to expand registered apprenticeships that help young people establish "strong, middle‑class" careers without overwhelming student loan debt.

Johnson: More community outreach. Specifically, Johnson said he would like to increase outreach through schools and parent-teacher organizations to increase awareness about prepaid tuition, which allows people to pay current public college tuition rates for future use, as well as 529 plans. 

The State Infrastructure Bank has been used as a tool to help create more affordable housing, but has received minimal funding from the Legislature.  Do you have any ideas on how to increase its funding?

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman said that she would like to continue the work she has done with the State Infrastructure Bank, noting that she was on a senior leadership team that used it to help build more than 10,000 affordable housing units across Nevada. She noted that over the next several years, much of the money that has been loaned through the bank will come back in the form of principal and interest payments. 

Johnson: Johnson said that investments funded by the State Infrastructure Bank have not been "done well" recently, saying that a large issue is that as a revolving fund, the bank has to fund projects that can be repaid. Johnson said he would like to use some of those funds from the State Infrastructure Bank to create housing in rural mining communities, such as Lovelock and Winnemucca, that have faced housing shortages and that have potential for economic growth. 

Is Nevada doing enough to return unclaimed property? What changes should we make, if any, to improve that?

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman said that as treasurer, she'll continue to invest in staffing and technology to help connect people with their unclaimed property, while also prioritizing fraud prevention efforts to ensure seniors and Nevada residents are protected from bad actors.

Johnson: Johnson said one of his goals with creating the trust for unclaimed property is to ensure people can continue getting their money back securely. Johnson previously said he would like to create a system to automatically return up to $300 worth in unclaimed property to individuals, as opposed to requiring people to apply for those funds. 

There is about $1.2 billion in Nevada's rainy day fund as of 2025. Are you satisfied with that amount and what changes would you advise, if any?

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman noted that Nevada's rainy day fund is sitting at the highest it's ever been in state history. However, she said she recognizes that many families are still struggling despite that and would like to lean into investing funds in programs and services that make the state more affordable for working families.

Johnson: Johnson said he is satisfied with how much money is in Nevada's rainy day fund but is not opposed to having discussions about raising the statutory cap on rainy day fund allocations above its current level: 26 percent of total general fund appropriations. 

Are there any programs you would like to expand in the office?

Mathis-Coleman: Mathis-Coleman said she would like to expand Nevada's Health Access and Loan Assistance Program, which offers student loan forgiveness to medical professionals who work in underserved urban and rural communities. She also said she plans on prioritizing down payment assistance and increasing matching funds for 529 plans.

Johnson: Johnson said he would like to increase awareness of ABLE accounts, which is a tax-advantaged savings program that lets people with disabilities save money without losing government benefits such as Medicaid or Social Security income. It also lets family members and friends contribute to the account. Johnson has also proposed allowing people to pay local and state taxes with gold to protect against inflation, such as in Utah and Texas.