Who is running for Oklahoma County treasurer? Your guide to the candidates.

Incumbent Oklahoma County Treasurer Forrest "Butch" Freeman will face challenger Brandon Kirkpatrick on Nov. 8. Kirkpatrick is an activist and currently works in the private sector. Freeman has been treasurer of Oklahoma County for nearly 30 years.

Forrest "Butch" Freeman

Age: 78

Born: Macomb, Missouri

Education: University of Missouri, Journalism and Master's of Business Administration

Experience: Oklahoma County treasurer since 1993. Retired Air Force ‒ comptroller for Tinker Air Force Base, responsible for budgeting and accounting. Former vice president and chief financial officer for Data Monitor Systems Inc.

Brandon Kirkpatrick

Age: 40

Born: Oklahoma City

Education: Villanova University, Data Analytics certification

Experience: General sales manager with experience handling multimillion dollar budgets, contracts and managing data and data systems.

Related:Are you ready for the general election? What to know before Nov. 8 voting in Oklahoma

The Oklahoman asked both candidates a series of questions about their reasons for running and plans for Oklahoma County. Candidate answers may be edited for clarity and length.

Why are you running for county treasurer?

Freeman: I've had the pleasure of being the county treasurer now for coming up on 29 years. I'm very proud of the changes we've been able to make. I'm very proud of the office, but most of all, I'm proud of the people that we have hired and retained. Our philosophy has never changed — we work for the people.

Kirkpatrick: I feel like it's very important — with the new county jail that we are fixing to build, that the people of Oklahoma County passed on June 28 — that we have somebody that has a new vision for how Oklahoma County should be.

What is the biggest problem facing Oklahoma County?

Freeman: Without a doubt the biggest problem, overall, facing the county is known as that four-letter word: Jail. Our biggest challenge as a county is to get that jail built. The biggest problem I'm facing in my office is hiring people and we're not unique in that.

Kirkpatrick: The Oklahoma County jail — I think that's the biggest thing that Oklahoma County is facing right now with having 14 deaths so far this year, 28 deaths from January of last year through now, that has got to be our biggest problem because we actually have our citizens that haven't been found guilty of any crime in there that are dying.

More:Oklahoma County received over $154 million in ARPA funding. What has it spent so far?

What will your priority be, if elected?

Freeman: My priority is to make the best better — very proud of our office, very proud of where we are now — but we can always be better. We'll never reach the point where we can't get better.

Kirkpatrick: One would be the county jail. But our budget right now for Oklahoma County is 146 pages. I think something that is very needed is to have a very easy to read chart that shows where our money is going and how we’re spending our money and what kind of investment we’re making. It doesn't have to be that someone has to have an accounting degree and read through 146 pages of budget to understand where that is.

Why are you the best person for the job?

Freeman: Two things: integrity and qualifications. I am proud to say that in the 29 years that I have been the county treasurer, there has not been one hint of impropriety. Because of the office that I'm very proud to be the head of and that we have built, we're really good at what we do. I am a good manager, I hire good people and I know how to build and maintain an absolute top organization.

Kirkpatrick: I’m passionate about helping the community and getting involved. When I get involved in something I will latch on. What makes me the best person for it is that I’m not going to stop talking and advocating for gains for Oklahoma County, talking and advocating for the things that will make Oklahoma County better.

What else would you say to voters ahead of the election?

Freeman: I can never make you happy about paying taxes. I don't like to pay taxes, but I promise you, as your treasurer, we would do the most professional job to serve you that can be done. We will continue to answer your questions and to be very professional in doing it.

Kirkpatrick: I think that it's important that Oklahoma County voters know that right now our current Oklahoma County treasurer is running for his ninth term, that he's been in that position since 1993 and he's been working for the county treasurer's office since 1989 and that was his second job — that was his job out of retirement.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Q&A with the candidates for Oklahoma County treasurer