Here are the 6 Republicans running for Missouri state treasurer

Missouri's primary election is less than one month away and candidates for several statewide races are working quickly to wrap up last-minute campaign strategies before appearing on the ballot. One of these races is Missouri state treasurer.

Missouri's current state treasurer is Vivek Malek, who is running for reelection.

The Missouri state treasurer is the state's chief financial officer, responsible for managing annual state revenues, directing bank services and overseeing the state's investment portfolio.

The state treasurer is also responsible for unclaimed property that has been turned over by banks, businesses, insurance companies and government agencies. According to the official Missouri State website , the state treasurer currently holds more than $1 billion in unclaimed property.

Missouri's 529 Education Plan, known as MOST 529, is also overseen by the state treasurer. Developed in 1999, MOST 529 works to increase access to higher education for Missourians.

Missouri primary election is Tuesday, Aug 6. This election narrows down the candidates to determine who appears as each party's nominee in November's general election.

In the primary election, there are six Republicans running for Missouri state treasurer. The News-Leader was able to speak with three of the candidates about their backgrounds, campaigns and desires for the position.

Vivek Malek

Incumbent Vivek Malek is looking to serve another term as Missouri state treasurer.

Born in Rohtak, India, Malek moved to Missouri in 2001. He attended Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, where he obtained his master's degree in business administration, and the University of Illinois College of Law.

Malek was appointed to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors in 2020 by Gov. Mike Parson. He was recognized by Parson again in 2022 when he was appointed as state treasurer, succeeding Scott Fitzpatrick, who was elected as state auditor.

According to the Missouri State Treasurer website , Malek's approach to his role centers around what he called "The Three P's," which are Protect, Provide and Promote. Malek wishes to protect taxpayer money by ensuring safe investments, provide growth with programs like MOST 529, MoScholars, MoAble and MoBucks, and promote the "promise of America."

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“I am blessed to have truly lived the American Dream,” Vivek's biography on the State Treasurer website reads. “I owe so much to America and Missouri, and I want to give back. America is a place of unlimited possibilities, where you can achieve anything if you work hard and get an education. This is the American Dream.”

The News-Leader was unsuccessful in connecting with Malek by press deadline.

Tina Goodrick

A resident of Saint Joseph, Tina Goodrick is the founder of Northwest Missouri Conservatives PAC. Through her role with the organization, she helped pass Constitutional Amendment 3 in Missouri, more commonly known as "Cleaner Missouri." This amendment dealt with redistricting throughout the state of Missouri.

The News-Leader was unsuccessful in connecting with Goodrick by press deadline, but according to her LinkedIn profile, she is also a grassroots associate for Americans for Prosperity and a substitute teacher.

As state treasurer, Goodrick would be interested in devesting in "woke companies that support far-left, neo-Marxist ideologists" like critical race theory, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and environmental, social, and governance, according to her campaign website . She would also like to ensure the office is more efficient with taxpayer's money and make more investments to maximize returns.

Andrew Koenig

Republican Andrew Koenig is a Missouri Senator who represents District 15, part of St. Louis County. He is also the owner of Koenig Construction, a roofing construction company, and a licensed insurance adjustor.

Koenig's primary point of focus as a candidate is the expansion of MOScholars , the state's school choice program. In March, the Missouri Senate passed an education bill that expanded the program's funding. Originally, the program was capped at $50 million. Now, it is capped at $75 million. Koenig, who helped pass this bill, said he would like to see the funding expanded even more.

"Right now in the school choice program, they are requiring background checks of parents in the program. I would like that repealed," Koenig said. "Specifically, I want to make the school choice program as transparent as possible for students, schools that are participating, so that way the public can have a full view of that program, a better understanding of what it looks like. Also, I want to raise more money for that program so that way there is a waiting list of kids that are wanting to go onto it so that way as many kids can get an education that their parents want them to have."

More: State Senators approved an omnibus education package with expanded school choice program

In an interview with the News-Leader, Koenig expressed a distaste for digital currency and investing in environmental, social, and governance, commonly referred to as ESG.

Koenig said he visited Springfield as part of his campaign for the Greene County Republican Women's Republican Candidate Forum in late June and has volunteers canvassing throughout the Ozarks region. As of July 5, Koenig was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life .

Karan Pujji

Republican Karan Pujji has a fairly small digital footprint and the News-Leader was unsuccessful in connecting with him by press deadline.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Pujji attended University of Missouri-St. Louis. He currently works as a territory sales representative for Thuasne USA , a company that designs and manufactures braces for post-op patients suffering from chronic and muscle pain, and as a management consultant for Bear Medical Group LLC.

Pujji ran for Missouri House of Representatives District 88, which encompasses St. Louis County, in 2020. He was defeated by at-the-time incumbent Tracy McCreery in the general election.

Lori Rook

An Ozarks native, Lori Rook currently lives and works in Springfield; she's been an attorney for nearly 18 years. She is the sole owner of Ozarks Elder Law , which includes seven attorneys and nine offices throughout southwest Missouri. Rook holds degrees from Missouri State University and Oklahoma City University School of Law. Post-graduation, she worked in civil litigation in Springfield.

Rook's main points of interest as a candidate are providing "real transparency" and increasing financial literacy for Missourians.

"It's very difficult to see where Missouri's money is actually being spent when you look on the legislative side of the budget and how everything gets put together and pushed through," Rook said in an interview with the News-Leader. "I have questions and I know a lot of other Missourians do too about where the money actually goes and how it gets spent."

In preparation, Rook has created the website, Show Me MO Money , which is currently "under construction." Rook said she would like to use the website as a "one-stop-shop" where Missourians can access updated information about how tax dollars are being spent.

As the owner of Ozarks Elder Law, one of Rook's priorities as state treasurer would be increasing financial literacy programs for senior citizens. She would like to provide resources on how to avoid scammers, especially with the prevalence of artificial intelligence, gambling mobile apps and cryptocurrency.

More: Access news, today's paper anywhere you go with the Springfield News-Leader app

"This is an underreported problem ... and the Treasurer's office has the ability to go in and educate and try to prevent some of these problems, instead of sitting back and being reactive," Rook said.

Speaking to the News-Leader on July 5, Rook said the majority of her campaign around the state has consisted of in-person meet-and-greets with voters. As of July 5, she was endorsed by Freedom Principle MO .

Cody Smith

A Carthage resident, Republican Cody Smith is a Missouri State Representative for District 163, which encompasses Jasper County. He has served in this role for eight years. He also holds a real estate license and owns a small business called UV Sanitized, a mobile sanitization service.

Economic and educational freedom are two of Smith's primary points of interest.

When it comes to economic freedom, Smith said, in an interview with the News-Leader, that he would like to lower taxes. And when it comes to educational freedom, Smith said he would like to see an expansion of Missouri's school choice program, which he has supported as a Representative.

As state treasurer, Smith would like to establish "good, conservative fiscal policy" through the several boards and commissions he would sit on. Specifically, Smith said he would impose "fiscal discipline" for the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System, or MOSERS, and prioritize returning unclaimed property to Missourians.

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Expanding Fitzpatrick's Show-Me Checkbook program is another task Smith would like to complete as State Treasurer. This resource serves as a transparency data portal for Missouri finances.

Throughout his campaign, Smith said he has been prioritizing one-on-one meetings with voters. As of July 9, Smith was endorsed by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and Missouri Highway Patrol Troopers' Association .

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com .

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Here are the 6 Republicans running for Missouri state treasurer