Brad Barker
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Brad Barker
| state_house = Montana
| district = 58th
| term_start = January 2, 2023
| term_end =
| predecessor = Seth Berglee
| successor =
| birth_place = Altus, Oklahoma, U.S.
| occupation = Businessman, public servant and retired US Army aviation officer
| party = Republican
| residence = Luther, Montana, U.S.{{cite web|url=https://leg.mt.gov/legislator-information/roster/individual/7618|website=leg.mt.gov|title=Montana State Legislature|access-date=2024-01-14}}
| education = Georgetown University Masters in Public Policy, 2004, Marine Corps University, Masters in Military Studies, 2006
| alma_mater = U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Economics, 1994
| birth_date = 1972
| spouse = Carla Barker
}}
Brad Barker is an American public servant from the state of Montana who has served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 58th district since 2023.{{Cite web |title=Brad Barker |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Brad_Barker |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}
Early life and career
Barker was born in Altus, Oklahoma, raised on a farm and ranch near Snyder, Oklahoma, and graduated from high-school in Snyder.{{Cite web |last=Moody |first=Frances |date=2015-12-16 |title=Military roots help Barker lead |url=https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/valley/people/closeup/military-roots-help-barker-lead/article_cb951a2a-1a7f-52e7-893e-1f686c126327.html |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Jackson Hole News&Guide |language=en}} He left Oklahoma for the United States Military Academy at West Point at 17 years old and graduated in 1994. Upon graduation, he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army as an aviation officer.
Brad served over 20 years in multiple command and staff assignments up through Aviation Battalion Task Force Command in Afghanistan with over 600 personnel and 49 aircraft. Over the course of his career, he served in South Korea, Germany, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In addition, he served as a military advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy at the Pentagon in 2005. Brad is a master army aviator rated in the UH-1 (Huey), OH-58 A/C (Kiowa), AH-64A (Apache) and AH-64D (Longbow) with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Korea. He also received four Bronze Star Medals and three Air Medals for leadership in combat.
He moved to Jackson, Wyoming, after his retirement from the US Army and was selected as the chief operating officer of Teton County School District Number 1. He served from 2014 until 2016.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-09 |title=House District 58 |url=https://billingsgazette.com/elections/montana/house-district-58/article_627ac8e2-3e90-11ed-a479-ab83907fc5b7.html |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Billings Gazette |language=en}}
Montana House of Representatives
Barker serves on the Agriculture, Taxation, Transport, and is the chairman of the Interim Legislative Consumer committees.
He helped author legislation to increase literacy rates among children in 2023 and held a press conference alongside Governor Greg Gianforte on the issue of education.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=New Montana law aims to help increase literacy among children |url=https://www.10news.com/new-montana-law-aims-to-help-increase-literacy-among-children |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ehrlick |first=Darrell |date=2023-11-30 |title=The 'big lie' of Montana |url=https://dailymontanan.com/2023/11/30/the-big-lie-of-montana/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Daily Montanan |language=en-US}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change|title=Montana House of Representatives 58th district general election, 2022}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Brad Barker|votes=3,841|percentage=66.44%}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Judith P. Gregory|votes=1,940|percentage=33.56%}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=5,781|percentage=100%}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change|winner=Republican Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Brad}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
Category:People from Altus, Oklahoma
Category:21st-century members of the Montana Legislature
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