Pledging a new generation of conservative leadership, Depew native and OSU Student President Kyle Hilbert today announced his Republican candidacy for State House District 29. Current Rep. James Leewright is seeking the region’s Senate seat, and will be vacating the House position at the completion of his term in 2016.
Hilbert, a senior agribusiness major at Oklahoma State University, said he represents the next generation of leadership. “As we have seen over the past seven years, we need legislators of integrity who will stand up for the rights of the people of Oklahoma against overreach by federal bureaucracies,” Hilbert said.
“For far too long, the political establishment in Washington has been trying to tell us how to conduct our business. We, as Oklahomans, must stand and hold fast to the conservative principles and traditional values that have made our District great.
“We must prepare for the future, with an eye toward creating a healthy, diverse job market, preserving individual freedom, promoting our small businesses and preventing government overreach,” he said.
Hilbert currently serves as President of the OSU Student Government Association and was recently named an OSU Senior of Significance. He also has served as a State FFA Officer.
“Agriculture is part of who I am, and it’s one reason I am so passionate about defending private property rights and making sure our state’s voice is heard above the Federal government’s,” Hilbert said. “But I also know that agriculture is just one part of our economy. I will work to promote government collaboration with the private sector across all industries, to make sure we have plentiful opportunities and continued prosperity.
”I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support from my family, friends and mentors who have encouraged me to take this leap of faith to run and make a difference for our District.”
Hilbert graduated from Depew High School in 2012 where he exhibited show pigs through FFA and has a small cow-calf operation. He is the son of Kerry and Shelly Hilbert.