Cindy Byrd, Oklahoma's state auditor and inspector, is running as a Republican for Oklahoma treasurer in the 2026 general election.
Byrd is a certified public accountant with more than 25 years of government auditing experience. She became the first woman elected state auditor and inspector of Oklahoma in 2018, according to the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector's office. She has said her priorities include cutting government waste, improving financial accountability and preparing state agencies for potential reductions in federal funding.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Office sought: Oklahoma Treasurer
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Hometown: Coalgate, Oklahoma
- Education: Coalgate High School (1991); bachelor's degree in accounting, East Central University (1996)
- Professional credential: Certified Public Accountant
- Family: Married to Steve Byrd
Experience and public service
Byrd is a fourth-generation rural Oklahoman from Coalgate, according to the state auditor's office website.
She started on a factory floor.
Before entering government, she worked as a factory employee at Wrangler Jeans, according to her BallotReady profile. She served as county audit division director at the Oklahoma State Auditor's Office from 2011 to 2013 and as deputy state auditor from 2011 to 2018. She has served as state auditor and inspector since 2019.
During her tenure, Byrd received the Dr. Tom Coburn Transparency in Government Award from the State Financial Officers Foundation in 2023, according to the state auditor's office website. Her office’s Epic Charter Schools investigation received a 2022 Excellence in Accountability Award from the National State Auditors Association. Byrd is a Club for Growth Fellow, according to the same site.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Byrd's campaign platform as submitted through BallotReady.
Taxes and budget: Byrd said she supports using modern tools, including artificial intelligence, to find and cut patterns of waste in state government. She said she wants to reduce waste and inefficiency before cuts become the only option. She also said she would require agencies to plan ahead for reduced federal dollars and identify state programs that rely heavily on temporary federal funding.
Education: Byrd said she would require transparent, public reporting of how education dollars are used. She said she wants to separate classroom spending from administrative costs and evaluate education programs based on measurable results.
Healthcare: Byrd said she supports top-to-bottom reviews of state healthcare agencies. She said she would prioritize early intervention over crisis-level care and improve coordination across healthcare programs.
Economy: Byrd said she supports removing unnecessary state-level barriers to doing business. She said she would align workforce development with employer needs and build on Oklahoma's existing tourism efforts.
