State Treasurer James Lewis may not be the best-known Democrat in New Mexico, but he was one of the state party's top vote-getters in winning re-election Tuesday.

Lewis, who earlier had served as treasurer from 1985-1991, won a second consecutive four-year term after jumping to an early lead over Republican Jim Schoonover, the clerk/administrator for the village of Hatch.

As the state's chief banker, Lewis doesn't dole out funds, which is the job of the Legislature. But his office is responsible for handling some $40 billion in state money and investments, making it a key, albeit down-ballot, election this fall.

Among other things, the office also manages a local government investment pool, reconciles the state's bank accounts and manages and invests bond proceeds.

Lewis said he would seek to update several state laws that deal with the state treasury to reflect current business practices and to make the office "a model agency for transparency and ethics."

The office knows all about that negative publicity, having seen scandals that sent two past treasurers — Robert Vigil and Michael Montoya — to prison.

The New Mexican