Southwest Missouri attorney Lori Rook announces run for Missouri State Treasurer’s office

Local attorney and Southwest Missouri native Lori Rook announced her candidacy for Missouri State Treasurer.

Rook enters a crowded primary competition for the Republican nomination, facing incumbent State Treasurer Vivek Malek, state Sen. Andrew Keonig and Missouri House Budget Chairman Cody Smith.

Rook is a graduate of Nixa High School and Missouri State University, where she studied Criminal Justice. She received her law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

She is currently the managing partner of Ozarks Elder Law and Joplin Elder Law. Rook views herself as a political outsider, having never run for political office before.

“I have helped thousands of Missourians in my career,” Rook said in a release. “I am running for Treasurer to help Missourians fight against financial abuse and overreach and to protect, manage and wisely invest the taxpayer’s money. I will also help educate the next generation about saving, investing and managing their money.”

Rook feels that her unique experience in elder law and estate management has given her the skills to safeguard the assets and investments of the state and its residents. She resides in Springfield with her husband Ryan and their three children, Aidan, Lincoln and Nora.

Incumbent State Treasurer Vivek Malek also feels he is not a traditional politician. Malek was appointed to the position after former Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick was voted into the state auditor’s office.

“I'm not a politician,” Malek said. “I am a businessman and had a small law practice for 18 years. And I could have just kept on doing that, but every person has a time in their life when they stop and think, ‘Am I only going to make money, and that's it?’ And I wanted to give back and pay forward the blessings I got in this country.”

Malek immigrated to Missouri from India after receiving his Masters of Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.

“I fell in love with this country, and I decided I wanted to become a citizen,” Malek said. “It took me 16 long years to become an American citizen. I became a citizen the right way, the legal way, and that’s why I know that legal immigration works.”

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Missouri Rep. Cody Smith, who serves as Missouri House Budget Chairman, has indicated his intentions to seek the treasurer’s office. Smith, who hails from Carthage, was first elected to the Missouri House in 2016 and will be term limited after the 2023 legislative session.

Also seeking the Republican nomination is State Sen. Andrew Koenig, who represents an area of West St. Louis County, and will term out of his Senate seat after next year’s legislative session. He previously served in the Missouri House from 2009 to 2016.

So far, Lucas Johnson, of Union, is the only Democrat running for state treasurer who has filed paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission. According to his LinkedIn, Johnson currently works as an investment advisor for First Street Financial Advisors.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Lori Rook announces run for Missouri State Treasurer’s office