Businessman Duane Smith will run for the Senate seat left open by the resignation of Senator Kyle Loveless. Smith made the announcement for his run at the Senate District 45 seat during the Mustang Positive Posse Meeting.
“Like all Oklahomans, I’m frustrated with the lack of a business plan for our state government,” Smith said. “In my business, we are forced to get creative and do more with less to make ends meet during tough times. But in our state government, every time finances get tough there’s seems to be a lack of innovation and, instead, the politicians come to the people with their hands out asking for higher taxes and higher fees. As your State Senator, I will work tirelessly to reform spending and get our state back in business for the future.”
Before starting his own small business, Smith also spent thirty years as a NCAA basketball referee and over thirty years at the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Smith was also involved with the Army Corps of Engineers in developing water systems in Afghanistan. He received a civilian “Commander’s Award for Public Service” from the Department of the Army and a “Group Meritorious Award” from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for his work in Afghanistan. He is 100 percent pro-Second Amendment and pro-life.
“I think our state government needs a few less politicians and a few more common sense conservative business people,” Smith said. “I’ll fight for spending reform to rein in waste of our tax dollars while working to put our state on solid financial footing for the future.”
Smith lives in Oklahoma City and has a son Tyler who is an operations manager for a software development company, and daughter in law, Tiffany, who received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Oklahoma and a 92-year-old mother who is very active in her community.
