State Treasurer Done, Won't Seek Re-Election

Editor's Note: The State Treasurer's Office issued the following statement Friday:

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Treasurer Scott Meacham today announced he will not seek another term as State Treasurer following the expiration of his current term in January of 2011. He also announced that he will not seek any other elective office.

“There has certainly been a lot of speculation on my future political plans over the last several months,” Meacham said. “I appreciate the patience shown by the media, my supporters and others as my family has gone through a difficult time with the passing of my wife’s sister from cancer.

“I am completing an eight-year commitment to public service and elected politics,” said Meacham. “Although I very much enjoy public service and the job of being an elected public official, I find I do not enjoy partisan politics and the process of continuously running for office. The toll on my responsibilities to my family and just missing out on so many moments in my children’s lives is too great.

“I have accomplished everything I set out to do in the Treasurer’s office thanks to a great and dedicated staff that has worked hard to implement my vision for the office since my first taking the post in June of 2005. We have dramatically increased earnings on the state’s investments, cut costs for state financial services, reduced staffing levels and overhead in the Treasurer’s Office, greatly increased payouts from the state’s unclaimed property fund and substantially expanded the number of families taking advantage of the Oklahoma College Savings Plan.

“I appreciate the many Oklahomans from both political parties who have encouraged me to look at the Governor’s race or the Attorney General’s race. Although it would be a great honor to serve the citizens of this state in either of those positions, I do not feel that is the best path for me or my family at this time.

“I have not yet even considered what I might do next in my career, although I certainly have accumulated an interesting resume as a banker, attorney, state agency head and elected statewide office holder,” said Meacham. “I believe the Lord leads us according to His will through doors opening and closing along life’s path and while the elected office holder door is closing, I am sure some other door will open.”

Meacham was named by Governor Brad Henry to serve as Oklahoma’s 17th State Treasurer and began serving in that position on June 1, 2005, serving out the remaining
unexpired term of Robert Butkin. Prior to being named State Treasurer, Meacham had been the State Finance Director since January of 2003. Before answering Governor Henry’s call to serve as State Finance Director, Meacham was the Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel of the First National Bank and Trust of Elk City, Oklahoma. Meacham was elected to a full, four-year term as State Treasurer in 2006, garnering 59 percent of the vote in his first run for public office.

More on the announcement is available here