He manages a $1.6 billion state fund with no staff and is the only Republican aside from Ron Johnson to win statewide office in the past decade. 

John Leiber, Wisconsin's state treasurer, stopped in studio to help explain why an office called state treasurer is mostly tasked with buying tech for school libraries and overseeing tens of thousands of acres of timberland.

We also got into the politics of the position, like how his office might be different under Democrat David Crowley or Republican Tom Tiffany as governor and the role of the Legislature of his position — and why he has no help.

He is running for reelection this fall against Democratic challenger Yee Leng Xiong.

Episode Highlights:

• Managing $1.6 Billion: Inside Leiber’s primary duty sitting on the board that oversees state trust funds, which delivered a record $73.5 million to local school libraries.

• Logging for Public Schools: Turning 77,000 acres of state timberland into direct revenue for UW scholarships and forestry programs without clear-cutting.

• The Zero-Staff Reality: What happens to a constitutional office stripped of staff when the only guy working there goes to the hospital for appendicitis surgery.

• Crowley vs. Tiffany Scenarios: How Leiber envisions his role shifting depending on whether a Democrat or a Republican wins the governor’s mansion.

• Saudi Arabia Childhood: Leiber shares what it was like living on a compound at age 13 during the Gulf War, where local tornado sirens still trigger memories of air raid alarms.

• Trapped Cash and Typos: Why $900 million in unclaimed property sits with the state, including $144,000 meant for UW-Madison that got frozen over a clerical error.