Hat in ring, heart on sleeve

STATE TREASURER Rob McCord, who announced this week that he is joining the crowded field of Democrats hoping to unseat Gov. Corbett in 2014, wants voters to know he's a businessman at heart, "not a career politician."

But you don't need to read the details of his career as a venture capitalist and head of a trade organization to believe it. Just listen to him. Talking about policy, McCord will toss out terms like "bottom line" and "return on investment," often sounding more like he's pitching a corporate board than making a stump speech.

Daily News writer Sean Collins Walsh sat down with McCord, 54, in his Bryn Mawr home to meet the man who signs Pennsylvania's checks. (Full disclosure: McCord's wife, Leigh Jackson, is a former Daily News writer.)

Q Why are you running for governor?

Fundamentally because the incumbent governor is doing a bad job, and I think we can do a much, much better job of increasing the economic security of all Pennsylvanians.

So what is economic security? Some of it is the sense that if you work hard and play by the rules, you won't have to worry about your ability to pay the bills. And then it usually progresses into, well, included among those bills would be my ability to raise a family. When you look at Pennsylvanians, most have some reason to feel economically insecure.

I love Pennsylvania. It's done a lot of great things for me. I have a debt to repay and I enjoy engaging in political struggles, and I believe them to be really important.

Q Part of the criticism of Gov. Corbett is that - agree with him or not - he hasn't been effective in accomplishing his goals in the General Assembly, that he doesn't have experience dealing with legislators. You like to say that you're not a career politician. Shouldn't people have the same concern about you?

That's an interesting juxtaposition. After watching this governor, it'll be much more helpful to have somebody who's sort of garrulous and easily engaged and wants to hear both sides. A lot of career politicians have that, a lot of professors, business leaders have that.

This particular career prosecutor seems to be somebody who had material delivered to him, was told, "This is a bad guy, you are right, he is wrong, tell him he's wrong." And that's the way apparently a lot of these legislators feel. It's like he doesn't call us to ask for our input, he just informs us of his decision.

Q So you would differ from him stylistically?

Right. Part of it is stylistic, but part of is the actual texture of my actual career.

This is a real job. This isn't just about values and votes. This is a publicly elected executive who has to work in multiple industries, who has to be a very effective communicator, recruiter, negotiator and delegator. The current governor isn't any of those things. A lot of my business experience will translate very well.

Q Your name recognition isn't very high, but I think a lot of people who do know you are used to seeing your name on forms for their 529 college-savings plans. What's it like to be responsible for so many people's college savings?

I'm the sole fiduciary for what's called the 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan.

The 529 program was broken. It was 30 percent underfunded as we took over. And we consulted on a bipartisan basis and said, just as I would on pension reform, I want to amend it, not end it.

It involved very aggressive marketing to remind people that there's this great program out there, and it involved changes in asset allocation.

Both worked. We were able

to repair that $400 million problem on our watch.

Q What kind of music do you listen to?

Motown. It's a reflection of my youth and of the time that I was courting my wife. We loved to dance together. I like "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire. It's kind of a romantic song for me.

And now suddenly, later in life, I sort of like some of the country ballads. I see the humor to them.

Q Your wife, Leigh Jackson, is African-American. Is it difficult being a mixed-race couple in a place like the Main Line?

It's not usually a big deal at all. The big thing that people notice about Leigh is how smart she is. Whenever I'm hanging out with smart people, they usually find a way to tell me how brilliant she is.

Q You've said you like that, as a couple, you can open some people's eyes. But, of course, you married for love, not to make a point. Do the questions about your marriage ever get annoying?

No. I like being a diplomat for good causes, so I take some pride in that.

I'm pleased about the increase in tolerance in general. One reason we were put on this planet at this time is to celebrate diversity.

Given that I've stepped into the public arena, somebody asking me about the love of my life is not a difficult question.