Two wings of the Republican Party will face off in May for the Republican nomination for state Treasurer to replace term-limited Treasurer Allison Ball.
From the “Liberty-minded” wing of the GOP Andrew Cooperrider, who was defeated in the May primary for a state Senate seat, has filed with the Secretary of State for Kentucky Treasurer. Cooperrider announced his intent to run for the seat in July, saying he wanted to “crush corruption.”
Announcing a run on Thursday, Dec. 1, is OJ Oleka the former president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities who previously served as the Deputy Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky under current Treasurer Allison Ball.
Oleka released a video on social media on Thursday declaring his candidacy.
There are no Democrats currently filed for the seat. Former Democratic nominee for state Treasurer Michael Bowman plans to run again for the Constitutional office next year in an open seat race. Bowman was the 2019 Democratic nominee for Treasurer, who lost to Allison Ball in her re-election. Ball finished the contest with nearly 61 percent of the vote to Bowman’s 39 percent.
Jan. 6, 2023, is the last day to file nomination papers for candidates who must run in a primary. The primary elections will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
