Tya Mathis-Coleman, a long-time staffer at the state treasurer’s office, launched her Democratic bid for the 2026 treasurer’s race Wednesday morning with the endorsement of her boss, State Treasurer Zach Conine. 

In an interview with The Nevada Independent, Mathis-Coleman, 44, said that the role is a natural extension of her current role at the state Treasury. She has spent more than six years as deputy treasurer of college savings — a division that oversees prepaid tuition, 529 plan and student loan programs — and is executive director of the Millennium Scholarship, a merit-based award that has served more than 177,000 Nevada students since it was established. 

So far, a handful of other candidates are in the race, including Assm. Joe Dalia (D-Henderson)  and Republican policy analyst and columnist Drew Johnson. Dalia — the other Democratic contender in the race — has been backed by a handful of legislative incumbents, including Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) and state Sen. Julie Pazina (D-Las Vegas).

Her bid comes at an uncertain time for Nevada, amid a shaky economic climate and when gaming and tourism revenue is down. Although Mathis-Coleman said the treasurer’s office “isn't going to be the answer to everything,” she said the office has done a “great job” in “protecting and preserving taxpayer dollars” in the face of economic uncertainty so far. 

“Every time I go out into the community, you see the concerns on people's faces,” Mathis-Coleman said. “They may not be able to pay their bills, and they want what's best for their children. We have to make sure that we get the resources for our state and to our people that need them the most.” 

If elected, Mathis-Coleman said that she plans to emphasize community outreach and financial literacy. In addition to college savings and Millennium Scholarship programs, the office manages state funds and maintains state and unclaimed property records. Mathis-Coleman, however, has encountered many individuals who have little idea of what the office does or how it can help them. 

Her career has had a soft focus on education — an area in which Nevada has historically struggled. A graduate of UNR and UNLV, Mathis-Coleman spent nearly five years leading recruitment efforts at the Clark County School District — the fifth-largest school district in the country and one that has long struggled with high teacher vacancy rates and budget deficits. In that role, she was responsible for recruiting about 2,600 teachers per year. 

She is also an adjunct professor at the UNLV Lee School of Business, another role that informs her work at the treasury. At the start of the semester, she said that she asks her students how many are recipients of the Millennium Scholarship. Not many of her students had planned to attend college, but managed to enroll because of the Millennium or “they accidentally found some other scholarship.”

Mathis-Coleman said the long-term solvency of the Millennium Scholarship is “top of mind.” The program, which has been propped up over the years with one-off appropriations from the Legislature, is no longer expected to cover all eligible students next year. Although she doesn’t have any specific plans yet to boost funding, she is curious about looking into new revenue streams, such as partnerships and donations from sports teams in the state.

To fend off rising costs, she also encourages parents to get prepaid tuition — which allows families to purchase credit hours at current rates on behalf of their child, then pay for that contract over an extended period of time, effectively locking in lower rates and protecting against future tuition increases. This is a resource she says not enough families know about. 

“There are so many ways that we can prepare for that cost,” Mathis-Coleman said. “One of those ways is Nevada prepaid tuition.”

In an interview with The Nevada Independent, Conine, who is termed out and vying for attorney general in the 2026 election, said Mathis-Coleman has his full endorsement. He said that Mathis-Coleman “revolutionized” the way the Treasury deals with college savings, including helping the office put together its first scholarship database (a proposal that passed the Legislature in 2019.) 

She also helped create a new role, known as the Nevada student loan ombudsman, to assist individuals with student loan issues. 

“She has done such a great job leaning in, fixing problems and understanding the core work of the Treasury. I can't think of anybody better to keep up the work that we've been able to get going over my last two terms,” Conine said. 

Mathis-Coleman said that she is still doing research on potential legislative proposals. When asked about other policy proposals, such as baby bonds (trust funds seeded with state money for children born in low-income families) and whether the office would continue to divest from assault weapon manufacturers (a Conine initiative), she said that she is continuing to research those areas. 

“We have done some really amazing things at the Treasury, and I think that I'm excited to continue the momentum,” Mathis-Coleman said.