Belmont Republican selectman Elizabeth Dionne, 55, announced her candidacy for Massachusetts state treasurer this week, saying taxpayers deserve more accountability and transparency from an office she described as dysfunctional.

Dionne, who has been a selectman since 2023, is running against incumbent state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, a Democrat, who announced in September that she will seek a fourth term next year.

Dionne, a mother, attorney, teacher, and member of Belmont’s governing body, launched her campaign with a new web site and video at VoteDionne.com. She said her decision to run was driven by concerns about mismanagement and a lack of public trust in the Treasurer’s office.

“Like so many other residents of Massachusetts, I have had enough of the corruption, cronyism, and chaos happening in the Treasurer’s office,” Dionne said in a campaign press release. “It is time for a change. I will not be the Treasurer for the insiders or special interest groups. I will be the taxpayers’ Treasurer who answers to the people of Massachusetts.”

Dionne pointed to her record in Belmont as evidence that she can manage public finances responsibly. She served as chairman of the town's board of selectmen during fiscal year 2025 and delivered balanced budgets without using reserve funds, according to her press release. During her tenure, Belmont created a multi-year budget advisory committee aimed at strengthening long-term financial planning.

She also highlighted financial and structural reforms at the local level, including transitioning Belmont’s treasurer and board of assessors from elected positions to appointed professional roles. Dionne said the changes were intended to improve competence and reduce political influence in financial oversight.

“As I did in Belmont, I will treat each and every dollar with the respect it deserves,” Dionne said. “Taxpayers work hard every day to make ends meet. As Treasurer, I will make sure their money is used wisely — not wasted on ideological agendas or personal animus.”

Among her accomplishments, Dionne cited Belmont’s decision to invest its retirement system fully in the state-run Pension Reserves Investment Trust, which she said lowered costs and improved returns. She also pointed to zoning reforms meant to promote commercial development and economic growth.

Dionne said her campaign will focus on fiscal accountability, transparency, and protecting taxpayers from political misuse of state funds. She said she wants to open financial records to the public and prioritize professional management over political connections.

“The Treasurer’s office should be a model of accountability and integrity,” Dionne said. “Instead, it has become a symbol of dysfunction. I’m running to restore public trust, open the books, and return the office to its core mission: serving the good taxpayers of Massachusetts.”

Dionne holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Wellesley College, a master's degree in political theory from Cambridge University, a law degree from Stanford Law School, and a master's degree in political science at Boston College, according to the campaign's press release. She previously worked as an attorney in commercial real estate and venture capital and has taught constitutional law and political science at Wellesley College and Boston College.

She is also the mother of an adult autistic son and has provided pro bono legal services to low-income special-needs children through Massachusetts Advocates for Children.