LaPolitics: You seem to be the only announced candidate for state treasurer. Do you think that’ll last?
State Rep. Scott McKnight, R-Baton Rouge: I’m sure someone else will get in. I can’t control who decides to run and who doesn’t. Right now, I’m focused on my campaign and working hard like it’s going to be a crowded field.
LaPolitics: If elected, what would your first official act be as treasurer?
McKnight: Starting on day one, I’m going to dig deep into where and how we are investing state dollars. If there are opportunities to keep more Louisiana taxpayer dollars inside our state rather than sending those dollars out of state, and still get the best returns, we are going to move in that direction.
LaPolitics: Over the last decade or so, state treasurers have increasingly been pulled into the orbit of partisan battles where finance intersects with everything from gun control to energy production. How would you balance your responsibilities of being a fiscal manager for the state with your own ideology and your party’s policy priorities?
McKnight: My top priority will be to manage the state’s assets. It’s the people’s money and it should be treated that way. While this seat provides a unique opportunity to get involved on a wide range of issues, I’m not going to politicize things that don’t need to be politicized—but if I need to take a stand, I won’t shy away from it. I’ll take it head on.
Garret and Sarah: As he juggles his own potential bid for governor, Congressman Garret Graves attended a fundraising reception this week at the Country Club of Louisiana alongside Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who made a name for herself working for President Donald Trump.
They said it: “As long as they don’t talk about my mama they can say just about anything they want about me.” –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, when asked about criticisms launched by his opponents, on KSLA-TV.
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
