Colorado's treasurer oversees the state's cash and invests roughly $17 billion in tax revenues. State law also requires the treasurer to report quarterly to the governor, respond to legislative requests about the Treasury Department, manage state cash and provide requested technical assistance on public funds, according to Colorado Revised Statutes § 24-22-107. Those responsibilities form the baseline for a 2026 contest over whether the office should concentrate on investment, cash management and unclaimed property or pursue broader economic and oversight initiatives.
Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges and Republican Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham are seeking to replace term-limited Democratic Treasurer Dave Young. Bridges is vice chairman of the Joint Budget Committee, while Grantham previously served as Colorado Senate president and later joined the Fremont County Board of Commissioners, according to The Denver Post. The candidates served together in the Legislature in 2017 and 2018, the Denver Gazette reported.
The candidates propose different uses for the office
Bridges has proposed creating a state fund for housing and infrastructure investments. The plan would shift some money from the large national financial institutions, programs and AAA-rated funds that make up much of Colorado's current investment approach, according to the Denver Gazette. He has pointed to Vermont and Illinois, where the Gazette reported that 10% to 20% of revenues go to local projects, and suggested working with local financial organizations that provide first-loan guarantees. Bridges has acknowledged that such investments could earn less than conventional bonds.
What the investment record and law show
According to a 2019 Colorado Department of the Treasury investment-management performance audit, the Treasury generally met statutory objectives for legality, safety, liquidity and yield. The audit also found that some portfolio holdings did not comply with the Treasury's investment-policy statements and that performance reporting could be improved. Separately from the candidates' proposals, the Colorado General Assembly's enacted SB25-167 requires the state treasurer to invest at least 20% of the Public School Fund's value in a new community investment portfolio by July 1, 2032.
He has also proposed a forensic accounting division that would examine other agencies' spending proactively rather than relying only on retrospective audits, the Denver Gazette reported. The proposal comes against a backdrop of Medicaid payment problems. A wheelchair-transport billing error caused providers to be paid $668.93 per pickup instead of $65 for a particular nonemergency service, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in overpayments over five years, according to 9News. A federal audit released in March also identified $77.8 million in improper or potentially improper payments connected to Colorado autism therapy, as reported by Colorado Politics.
Grantham emphasizes safeguards and the office's current mandate
Grantham has said local projects could be considered only if they perform comparably with ordinary Treasury investments and do not increase risk to state tax dollars, according to the Denver Gazette. Rather than establish a new investigative unit, he would use the treasurer's public platform to comment on legislation involving the state budget, spending, banking and other financial matters.
The candidates also differ over the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund, which contains about $2.5 billion in bank accounts, refund checks and other payments that private institutions could not deliver, the Denver Gazette reported. Grantham has made returning those assets to their owners a priority and has argued that the office should concentrate on that task before accepting additional duties. Bridges has proposed sending unclaimed checks and other financial holdings directly to residents when the Treasury identifies the owners, rather than requiring them to search for and claim the property.
The open seat will be decided in 2026
The proposals give voters a choice between expanding the treasurer's economic and oversight role and keeping the office centered on cash management, investment performance and returning unclaimed property. Bridges brings legislative experience as a Joint Budget Committee vice chairman, while Grantham is campaigning after serving as a county commissioner and as the last Republican to lead the state Senate, according to The Denver Post. The general election will fill the seat Young cannot seek again because of term limits.
