Wellesley resident Mike Heffernan has announced plans to run for state treasurer in Massachusetts on a platform that includes better protecting tax dollars, securing the state pension system, boosting jobs creation and ensuring robust investment in public education. He will run as a Republican candidate, though stresses a need to put partisanship aside to focus on residents’ needs (and knowing Mike personally, he’d be considered a Democrat in many states).

“As the Commonwealth’s next Treasurer, my top priorities will be to increase local aid, improve our schools and invest in our communities,” Heffernan said in a statement.

Heffernan has a deep background in the financial industry, boasting a combined 20-plus years at companies such as Citigroup and Salomon Brothers. More recently, he went the entrepreneurial route and co-founded Mobiquity, a fast-growing Wellesley-based mobile IT professional services firm at which he is now an advisor.

Heffernan’s educational background includes a BA in economics from Georgetown University and an MBA in finance from New York University. Heffernan then prepped for his run for state office by returning to school recently and earning an MPA from the JFK School of Government at Harvard.

Locally, Heffernan serves on the board of the Wellesley Historical Society. He lives in Wellesley with his wife Peggy and their three teens.

Heffernan becomes the second Wellesley resident running for a prominent state office during 2014: Healthcare industry veteran Joe Avellone is among the gubernatorial candidates.

The current state treasurer, Steven Grossman, is running for governor as well. A handful of candidates, mostly Democrats, have declared their intentions to run for the Treasurer’s office.