Vivek Malek launches campaign for full term as state treasurer

Missouri state Treasurer Vivek Malek returned to Cape Girardeau on Monday, March 25, holding the first of several events in his campaign for election at Cape Girardeau City Hall.

Gov. Mike Parson appointed Malek to the role in December 2022 when then-Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick was elected State Auditor. Malek took office Jan. 2, 2023.

This is Malek’s first time running for the office.

“I’m grateful to be back in my adopted hometown of Cape Girardeau, where it started,” the candidate said. “This is the community where I arrived 22 years ago for my education, and this is where I fell in love with Missouri and I fell in love with America.”

Malek said his campaign would revolve around “three P’s”: protecting taxpayer dollars, providing opportunities and promoting the promise of America.

“I love doing this job. It is my American dream come true,” he said. “My opponents, they’re running to get this job. I’m running to do this job.”

Malek promoted some of his accomplishments over his year in office, such as divesting the Missouri State Employees Retirement Fund from Chinese-owned companies.

He also touted how he helped return record amounts of unclaimed property to Missourians.

“We broke every record of every past treasurer in returning unclaimed property ... the last record was $49 million, we returned $55 million,” Malek said.

During his time in office, he has also launched the MOBUCK$ loan program, launched the Show-Me Retirement Savings Plan for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and grew the MOScholars scholarship program to more than 2,000 scholarships.

Malek said he wants to grow these programs if elected to a full four-year term.

Conservative campaign

Malek positioned himself as a conservative candidate in the race for treasurer, the primaries of which will take place Tuesday, Aug. 6.

“I will use the treasurer’s bully pulpit to sell Missouri as a great place to do business, a wonderful place to raise kids and thriving with the traditional values of family, faith and hard work,” Malek said.

The candidate described himself as a constitutional, social and fiscal conservative, in favor of school choice and the First and Second Amendments, and against abortion and illegal immigration.

Malek also said he was a supporter of former U.S. president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“And let me be clear: I’m standing with President Trump. And President Trump will lead us back to prosperity to the disasters of Joe Biden,” he said.

He added Trump was the first presidential candidate he cast a ballot for after he became an American citizen.

Malek faces three announced candidates for the Republican nomination for state treasurer: state Sen. Andrew Koenig, state Rep. Cody Smith and lawyer Lori Rook.

Financial adviser Lucas Johnson is the only declared Democrat candidate.

Malek hosted another campaign event Monday in St. Louis and said he will hold additional campaign stops across the state in the coming days.