The body of a Republican candidate for the Oklahoma Senate was discovered in a pickup truck in a wildlife preservation area in western Oklahoma on Thursday.
Barry Christian, 54, was last seen in Sayre, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, according to reports. He did not show up for a scheduled meeting and was unresponsive to attempts to reach him. He was reported missing on Wednesday night, and both the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office and Harmon County Sheriff’s Office requested the public’s help in locating him, according to ABC affiliate KOCO News 5 in Oklahoma.
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Christian’s body was discovered inside his truck in Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area on Thursday afternoon, according to reports. The circumstances regarding his death are currently unknown and are still under investigation. His campaign issued a press release notifying of his death on Thursday.
“At this time, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Christian’s death remain under investigation,” the release stated. “Authorities have not yet released additional details pending notification of all family members and further examination.”
According to his campaign website, Christian advertised his candidacy as the “conservative choice” who would “proudly stand with President Trump and fight for the traditional conservative values that make America great.” Among the noted issues listed on his campaign platform were fighting against “leftist government overreach,” defending “unborn babies,” supporting law enforcement agencies and officers, and “opposing reckless open border policies.” He was one of three Republican candidates vying for office in Oklahoma’s upcoming primary election scheduled for June 16.
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His daughter, Brooklyn, released a statement expressing grief over Christian’s death and asked people “to act with grace.”
“Please pray for our family and friends, Brooklyn Christian said. “Our world is upside down right now. We are still not sure of everything that happened, so please act with grace and treat my dad’s legacy with dignity. We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted in the search efforts, and all of the media outlets that shared his information. I know there will be lots of people devastated by his passing.”
