After a childhood full of intense treatments and surgeries for serious medical conditions, Matt Jette made a promise to himself that he would work toward advancing and improving health care in America.

State treasurer isn’t the political plum that other executive offices have been for ambitious politicians, but some of this year’s candidates are raising and spending money like the office is the first step toward the Ninth Floor, Congress and beyond.

State Treasurer Dean Martin's campaign for the Republican nomination for governor was short on cash before qualifying for $707,000 in public funding in late June, but he then paid more than $130,000 to his campaign manger and other consultants in the 11 days before he suspended his campaign.

When state Treasurer Dean Martin entered the race in January, he had long looked like Gov. Jan Brewer’s most dangerous adversary in the Republican primary. Brewer was floundering in her budget battle with the Legislature and reeling from conservative opposition to her proposed sales tax hike.

Northern Arizona businessman, Mills put himself on the political map when he hired Symington Group partner Camilla Strongin to manage his campaign and became the talk of the Capitol in January when he put $2 million of his own money into his campaign.

Terry Goddard greeted the news of Buz Mills’ exit from the governor’s race with an enthusiastic proclamation. “Game on. Sixteen weeks to change Arizona,” the Democratic attorney general wrote on his Twitter account.

Buz Mills didn't end his gubernatorial campaign quietly, lashing out at Gov. Jan Brewer instead of giving her the support she saw from state Treasurer Dean Martin when he bowed out of the race several days earlier.

A new poll says Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's popularity surged in recent months, with the Behavior Research Center saying she surfed "a political wave" from signing Arizona's immigration enforcement law.

After spending $3.2 million of his own money on his campaign, Northern Arizona businessman Buz Mills bowed out of the governor’s race, leaving Jan Brewer virtually unopposed in the Republican primary.

State Treasurer Dean Martin dropped out of the governor's race July 9, saying he would stand aside and support Gov. Jan Brewer in her battles with the Obama administration and the federal government. "Governor Brewer is going to need all our help to shoulder the burden of defending Arizona from the federal government. It is our duty to stand together as Arizona residents against an intrusive federal bureaucracy," Martin said in his announcement that he characterized as "suspending" his campaign. "Our state and the residents of Arizona are more important than playing politics."