A prosecutor and retired U.S. Marine, Barkey served three tours in Iraq after the Sept. 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, before being appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper in fall 2012 to serve as for Grand, Moffat and Routt counties.
Barkey, who lives in Hayden, was subsequently elected to the seat twice, in 2012 and 2016. He also spent close to a decade as a senior counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C.
Barkey said his “foremost duty” as treasurer would be to safeguard the state’s funds.
“But I would also focus on three things: making the office a ‘center of service’ to county, special district and municipal treasurers around the state, emphasizing the office’s role as the ‘go-to’ expert in financial management for the governor and state legislature and ensuring the prompt return of unclaimed properties to their rightful owners,” he said in a statement.
Barkey’s announcement brings the Republican field to five, with term-limited State Treasurer Walker Stapleton . As it stands, Barkey would face Rhoutt County Treasurer and three state lawmakers in the GOP primary: Rep. , Rep. and Sen. .