Nick Mansour runs for Arizona State Treasurer

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - A third-generation Arizonan is now running to become the state's next treasurer.

Democrat Nick Mansour is hoping to become Arizona's next state treasurer, saying his background in business and financial management would help him serve the state in a time when families are struggling with rising costs.

Mansour said Arizona families are feeling the strain of rising costs, and said the Treasurer's Office can play a role in helping address those concerns.

"I think there's a lot more we can do with this office to address issues like affordability. People are very concerned about the cost of living, the cost of housing, the cost of groceries. We need to use our money wisely. We need to create more jobs. We need to create more high-paying jobs to basically help Arizonans have a better life," Mansour said.

Mansour says his background as an entrepreneur and his experience managing finances make him qualified for the role.

He says that understanding how to make responsible financial decisions is important when overseeing state money and helping improve Arizona's economic future.

If elected, Mansour says he wants to use the Treasurer's Office to help ease financial pressure on Arizona families and strengthen the state’s economy.

He says education is also a key part of that plan, explaining that a stronger workforce can help Arizona attract more businesses and better-paying jobs.

"We really want to remain a place that attracts the best companies and the best jobs. We need to address our education. As you may know, our education across the state is ranked fairly low, and that's a concern for every employer looking to locate here. They want to make sure that they can have a well-educated workforce," Mansour said.

Mansour says if elected, he also wants to improve how Arizona invests its education funds to maximize its full potential.

"We have an endowment fund for the benefit of education in our state. It's an $11 billion fund, and we're not investing it like every other state that has a fund like this. If we did that, we would make more money. It's a tax-free way to fund education," he said.

The Arizona primary is next Tuesday. For information on where to vote, click here.