Former congressional candidate makes bid for Nevada state treasurer
Conservative policy analyst and former congressional candidate Drew Johnson plans to run for Nevada state treasurer, he announced Thursday.
“As Nevada State Treasurer, I will vigilantly safeguard taxpayer funds, ensure complete transparency in our financial operations, and advocate tirelessly for economic growth,” Johnson said in a Thursday statement announcing his candidacy.
The Las Vegas resident most recently ran for Congress in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in 2024, losing to Democratic Rep. Susie Lee by about 10,000 votes. In 2022, Johnson ran against Democratic Commissioner Justin Jones in the Clark County Commission, losing by a little over 300 votes.
“Our near-victory in one of the nation’s toughest congressional districts demonstrated a powerful demand for accountability, transparency and integrity — principles I will steadfastly uphold as State Treasurer,” he said in his announcement.
Johnson could replace Democratic State Treasurer Zach Conine, who is term-limited and announced his bid for attorney general.
Born in Tennessee, Johnson has lived in Southern Nevada for around a decade. He established the Beacon Center, a public policy think tank, and worked at several different organizations where he researched government transparency, tax, budget, transportation, energy and international policy issues.
He has more recently worked as a government watchdog and scholar at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and National Center for Public Policy Research. As a conservative columnist, he’s published columns in Newsmax, Fox News, and the Washington Times.
If elected as state treasurer, Johnson said, he plans to expand Nevada’s college savings programs to make higher education more accessible, and he wants to maintain and improve Nevada’s AA+ bond rating. He also wants to promote financial literacy education in schools and lower-income communities, he said.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
