Republican Cindy Byrd and Libertarian Kiefer Perry are both aiming to become the state's top banking official. No Democratic candidates are running.
Oklahoma's treasurer oversees the state's banking services. The office also administers the state's unclaimed property program.
Republican Cindy Byrd
Byrd has served two terms as State Auditor and Inspector, beginning in 2019. She received nearly 62% of votes in the Republican primary against incumbent Treasurer Todd Russ.
Byrd announced earlier this year that she was running for lieutenant governor, but she pivoted to the treasurer's race on the final day of candidate filing. Although Byrd has not publicly said what spurred the change, it came soon after President Donald Trump endorsed T.W. Shannon for lieutenant governor.
Trump has now endorsed Byrd in the treasurer race, calling her "highly respected and very popular" in a social media post.
Byrd is a certified public accountant who lives in Coalgate. Her platform includes investing in tourism and the arts, increasing transparency in education spending, and tapering down reliance on federal funding.
As state auditor, Byrd identified misappropriation of state funds by Epic Charter School leaders and spending issues at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health.
As of her most recent campaign finance report in August, Byrd's campaign had spent about $230,000.
Libertarian Kiefer Perry
Byrd will face Libertarian Kiefer Perry in November's general election. Perry lives in Broken Arrow and currently serves as the vice chair of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party.
On his campaign website, Perry said he is inspired by the Austrian school of economics and plans to employ "radical transparency" and a conservative investment strategy to support the free market.
"My first priority is the elimination of the 'pay-to-play' culture that has plagued government finance for far too long," Perry wrote. "I will strictly prohibit the practice of awarding state business as a reward for political loyalty or campaign contributions."
Perry does not appear in Oklahoma's campaign finance reporting system. Candidates must file only if their campaigns have raised and/or spent more than $1,000.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
