KENTUCKY — Candidates competing in the Democrat and Republican Party primaries for Kentucky’s State Treasurer appeared on "In Focus Kentucky to discuss a wide range of topics and issues ranging from day one priorities if elected, budget transparency, unclaimed property and much more.

During this segment, Mario Anderson spoke with Republican OJ Oleka, Mark Metcalf and Andrew Cooperrider. Oleka lives in Frankfort and his parents came to the United States from Nigeria. Oleka previously served as deputy Kentucky State Treasurer under Allison Ball. Most recently, worked as President of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) to support 57,000 students at Kentucky’s 18 independent higher educational institutions.

Mark Metcalf is from Lancaster in Garrard County and currently serves as Garrard County Attorney, a position he has held off and on for over 22 years. He also completed 29 years in the Kentucky Army National Guard, representing every major command in the Commonwealth. In years past, Metcalf also served as a judge on the US Immigration Court in Miami, Florida.

Andrew Cooperrider is from Lexington in Fayette County and is a small business owner who employs dozens of Kentuckians across his companies. Cooperrider first ran for office in 2020 for state Senate. He lost in the high-profile GOP primary, but says he was encouraged to seek elected office for many reasons including, his experience helping "create dozens of quality jobs, balanced budgets, and tackled complex issues."

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky 'Conversation with the Kentucky State Treasurer' Republican candidates segment in the player above.