Schmidt keeps ND treasurer's office in GOP hands

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota state treasurer's office will stay in Republican hands.

Incumbent Kelly Schmidt defeated Democratic challenger Ross Mushik (MYOO'-shik) on Tuesday to win a third term.

The 50-year-old Schmidt is a Mandan resident. She was first elected treasurer in 2004.

The treasurer's office manages cash for some North Dakota agencies and distributes tax collections to local governments.

It has been the smallest state agency headed by an elected official. It has seven employees. The office has survived past attempts to abolish it.

The amount of money the treasurer handles has grown as North Dakota's oil tax collections increase.

Mushik is a Mandan businessman and former state budget analyst and auditor. His mother, Corliss Mushik, was a longtime Democratic state senator.

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