Walking into the ballroom of the Hyatt, I expected to be greeted by a crowd full of a careless energy, with drinks and merriment flowing as the GOP faithful watched their slate ascend to each statewide office.

Republican Doug Ducey capped the most expensive treasurer's race in Arizona history with a win over Democrat Andrei Cherny.

A group of former Cold Stone Creamery franchise owners accused Republican state treasurer candidate Doug Ducey, the company's former CEO, of using a raft of dishonest business practices to perpetuate a revolving-door system that lured in franchisees, bankrupted them and then pushed them aside to make way for new ones.

Without a primary to drain his campaign cash, Democratic treasurer nominee Andrei Cherny has a massive war chest as he prepares to launch a spate of television ads in time for early voting.

Three current or former Arizona lawmakers, a former presidential adviser and a business executive are among the candidates in Tuesday's primary election for state treasurer.

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 candidate Doug Ducey had a lien placed on his Paradise Valley home for failure to pay property taxes, and paid two years worth of taxes shortly after he filed to run for office, according to the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office.

“It’s virtually impossible to do.” – Republican Steve May, who is running as a write-in candidate for the House in District 17.

Doug Ducey reported spending $581,000 on the Republican primary for state treasurer, more than any state-level candidate except for Buz Mills' defunct gubernatorial campaign.

Ducey, the former CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, spent $100,000 in the week before the Aug. 10 trigger report was submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. Partly due to the spate of television ads he's aired, Ducey has spent more than every state treasurer candidate from the past two election cycles combined in his four-way primary.