Voter guide: Here are the GOP candidates running for Kentucky treasurer
Kentucky's primary elections will conclude May 16, presenting registered Republican voters with the opportunity to choose the party's nominee for state treasurer race this fall.
Kentucky's state treasurer is a constitutional officer who acts as the Kentucky's chief elected fiscal officer, with their duties including handling the state's revenue deposits and unclaimed property fund.
Only one Democrat, Michael Bowman, filed to run for the office this year, so Republicans are the only ones who will vote for the office in the primary, with three candidates.
Here are their backgrounds and answers to several policy questions involving the office. Note that some answers have been edited for length:
Andrew Cooperrider
Age: 31
Current job: Business owner
Where do you live? Lexington
Previous elected offices: None
Campaign website: Cooperrider4KY.com
Campaign Facebook: www.facebook.com/Cooperrider4KY
Campaign Twitter: twitter.com/Cooperrider4KY
What kind of financial experience do you have on your resume?
I founded my first company with just $3,000. Today I own several companies and employ dozens of Kentuckians. A person does not accidentally become successful building companies from scratch, you have to understand finance, cash flow, and how to make good investments. I'm the only candidate in this race who has managed a payroll the size of the Treasurer's office before and has had to sign the bottom of the checks.
How do you plan on being a watchdog for Kentuckians in this office?
I'm not someone who is trying to create a career or become a political climber. That means when calling out abuse or misuse it will be about right and wrong, and not the politics of the situation. We need a Treasurer that is willing to do the hard work to seek out the out of control spending and bring it to the attention of the taxpayer. I have already put together a short Wasteful Spending Report that covers the 2022 calendar year.
For the past few decades, some have argued the treasurer’s office is outdated and should be eliminated. Explain why you agree or disagree with that belief.
The office isn't useless, we have just had a whole lot of useless people in the office. The Treasurer is the only person in our State Government tasked with front end oversight. Moving these duties over to the Governor or Auditor will create large opportunities for corruption to occur. Electing an individual who will execute the duties of the office fully will remind everyone of just how important the Treasurer's office is and how it can be a catalyst for conservative fiscal change in the Commonwealth.
More: Kentucky Primaries 2023: What to know about registering to vote, absentee ballots and more
Mark H Metcalf
Age: 64
Current job: Garrard County Attorney
Where do you live? Lancaster
Previous elected offices: I have been elected Garrard County Attorney 6 times.
Campaign website: metcalffortreasurer.com
Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markmetcalf4ky
What kind of financial experience do you have on your resume?
I have served as a Counsel to the Garrard County Fiscal Court for 22 years. All these years included work on budgets both for the County and Garrard County Attorney's Office as well as formulating tax rates (which the County lowered) and producing a tax rebate in 2015 which my office handled. I also serve on the Board of Directors of Allison Abrasives Inc., the second-largest manufacturer of cutting wheels in the world.
How do you plan on being a watchdog for Kentuckians in this office?
This is an essential role for the State Treasurer and is an attitude as much as it is practice. Safeguarding Kentucky fiscal assets happens before a bill or obligation is paid and payment is later validated by a review process that continues long after a bill is paid. The watchdog role also involves bringing the best technology to bear to prevent cybercrime (theft) and data breaches. Upon taking office, I will seek the most up-to-date software and hardware to defend Kentucky's receipt and payment system.
For the past few decades, some have argued the treasurer’s office is outdated and should be eliminated. Explain why you agree or disagree with that belief.
Bills like this have been filed before. I support all efforts, including this bill, that intend to save taxpayers' money without a loss of service to the public. I discussed this bill with its sponsor, Rep. Steve Doan, and believe his intentions are sincere and deliberate and not an attempt to grandstand.
OJ Oleka
Age: 35
Current job: Oleka Management Consulting, president
Where do you live? Frankfort
Previous elected offices: None
Campaign website: https://olekaforky.com/
Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlekaforKY/
Campaign Twitter: https://twitter.com/olekaforky
What kind of financial experience do you have on your resume?
Kentuckians deserve an experienced conservative who will protect their tax dollars and our pro-life, pro-family values. As former Deputy Treasurer under Allison Ball, I’m the only candidate who will be ready on Day One to prioritize legal and efficient spending, improve budget transparency and promote financial empowerment. As part of a new generation of Republican leadership, I will preserve the American Dream for everyone in Kentucky, because my family has lived it.
How do you plan on being a watchdog for Kentuckians in this office?
Integrity will be at the center of everything I do as State Treasurer to protect Kentucky values and serve families. On Day One, I will fight the corporate activists trying to invest your money in the radical ESG agenda, and I will take on financial institutions that don’t align with Kentuckians’ values. I’m the only candidate with any knowledge of how to run the Treasurer’s office and how to align it with conservative principles.
For the past few decades, some have argued the treasurer’s office is outdated and should be eliminated. Explain why you agree or disagree with that belief.
The office would be useless in inexperienced hands, which is what you get with my opponents. With me, Kentuckians will get an experienced conservative who will use the office as a powerful tool to protect Kentucky taxpayers’ dollars, make government more efficient, and make the budget more transparent. I’m the only experienced conservative candidate running, and I have a proven record of operating this office in a way that promotes conservative principles.
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Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky primaries voter guide: Here are the GOP treasurer candidates
