Fiona Ma was elected as California’s 34th state treasurer in November of 2018, receiving 7.8 million votes, more than any other candidate for treasurer in state history. Ma, a certified public accountant, serves as California’s head banker, providing transparency and oversight for the government’s investment portfolio and accounts as well as managing the state’s $92 billion in financial assets. Ma previously served as chair and vice chair of the California State Board of Equalization from 2015 to 2019, representing more than nine million taxpayers. There, she led historic reforms to increase efficiency and transparency at the agency. She also served on the California Assembly from 2006 to 2012, passing landmark legislation to ban toxic chemicals in children’s toys, protect small business owners and expand opportunities for homeowners. As a state legislator, she was the first and only Asian-American woman ever elected as Assembly speaker pro tempore, the second-highest ranking office in the Assembly. She also previously served as a San Francisco supervisor, where she championed a human rights campaign to end human trafficking in massage parlors and shut down prostitution rings. She led the effort to create the city’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program to empower small businesses to more easily participate in public works projects. She has chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, championing legislation to protect victims of domestic violence. From 1989 to 1993, Ma worked for Ernst & Young before starting her own accounting practice in San Francisco. Ma holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Ma serves on the board of California Women Lead, is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and a California Film Commissioner. She is married to Jason Hodge, a full-time firefighter and Oxnard harbor commissioner.
Congressman Alex Mooney represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. He was first elected to Congress in 2014 and sits on the influential House Financial Services Committee. Prior, he was also appointed and served on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on the Budget.
Mooney was a co-sponsor of the American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2015, which would cut taxes for innovative American companies. In 2018, Mooney supported the House’s passage of the JOBS and Investor Confidence Act. The bill package aims to help small businesses and entrepreneurs acquire capital to create jobs. Mooney has also been an advocate for his state’s coal, oil and natural gas industries.
Mooney’s mother was a Cuban refugee. His father came from an Irish family and served in the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Mooney, a Dartmouth College graduate, also served in the Maryland State Senate and was chairman of the Maryland Republican Party before he moved to West Virginia.
Adam Laxalt is the 33rd attorney general for the state of Nevada. He took the office in January 2015, which, at the time, made him the youngest attorney general in the country. His term ends in 2019.
Laxalt is a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a prosecutor and legal advisor. He also served his country in Iraq, working on detention and prosecution efforts for war criminals and terrorists. As a veteran and attorney general, he created the Office of Military Legal Assistance, which has helped thousands of service members and veterans with pro bono matters since 2015.
Laxalt founded the state’s Law Enforcement Summit, which brings Nevada’s county officials together twice a year to address emerging criminal trends. He chairs the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Working Group, which is working on the state’s backlog of nearly 8,000 untested sexual assault evidence kits. He also created a federalism unit, which, in the spirit of promoting state’s rights, has challenged federal decisions.
Laxalt is a graduate of Georgetown University and its law school.
Keith Rothfus is a former congressman from Pennsylvania, where he represented the state’s 12th Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. During his time in Congress, Rothfus was passionate about ensuring that America remains the land of opportunity and freedom that the founders intended it to be. He was appointed to serve as vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit for the 115th Congress. He also served on the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance and the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance. As a member of the Financial Services Committee, Rothfus addressed issues concerning the banking system, housing, insurance and securities markets. Rothfus graduated from Buffalo State College with a bachelor’s degree and earned his law degree at the University of Notre Dame. He spent most of his professional life in the private sector. As an attorney, he helped businesses of all sizes expand and create jobs in western Pennsylvania. Rothfus served as the first director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He launched and managed DHS’ efforts to coordinate relief services with faith-based and community organizations after natural disasters. He has served on the board of directors of the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, an organization that provides support services to local veterans and their families.