Seale won’t seek re-election as treasurer

Monday, Jan. 12, 1998 | 10:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- State Treasurer Bob Seale said today he will not seek a third term, saying it is time to "seek new challenges in business and government."

Seale, 56, a Republican, said he would serve out his term, which ends next January, and had no firm plans for his future. He did not rule out a run for lieutenant governor, a part-time job.

"I'm willing to take a look at that," he said. But Seale wants to get back into private business.

Seale's chief deputy, Brian Krolicki, has already opened his campaign to replace his boss. Today's announcement could spark more interest in running for a position that has no incumbent.

This means there will be at least three new state constitutional officers next January. Gov. Bob Miller is ineligible for run for re-election and Controller Darrel Daines has announced his retirement after four terms. In addition, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa has not indicated whether she will run for re-election or leave office.

Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren has not decided whether to seek re-election, run for Congress or for governor. Secretary of State Dean Heller, mentioned as a candidate for governor, said he will make his decision in a few weeks.

Seale said he ran for office eight years ago, hoping to make an improvement. During Seale's tenure, the state's investment portfolio increased from $800 million to $2 billion.

He said the debts of the state have been consolidated to achieve lower interest payments. The local government bond program, through which counties and others sell bonds at lower interest rates, has risen from $140 million to $360 million.

He and Miller have started a college tuition plan to help parents save now to pay for the future education costs of their children. For the first time, he also put out to formal bid the state's banking contracts, opening up the process to all the financial institutions.

Seale has lived in Nevada since 1972 and was a practicing certified public accountant for seven years before running for office in 1990.

In September that year, a small plane he was piloting crashed on takeoff from Fallon, killing his wife of 23 years, Judy. Seale, Sue Wagner, who was campaigning for lieutenant governor, and her aide, Stephanie Tyler, were seriously injured. Krolicki was also in the plane but was not hurt as bad as the others.

Seale and Wagner both were in the hospital for most of the remainder of the campaign but they won election.