Gut-wrenching news turned the 2026 campaign upside down.
This was the last thing anyone wanted to hear.
And a Senate candidate Kid Rock endorsed turned up dead in this unthinkable tragedy.
Oklahoma State Senate candidate Barry Christian turned up dead in his vehicle 48 hours after he was reported missing, after he failed to show up for a meeting.
Christian was a Trump-aligned Republican who just received Kid Rock’s endorsement for his campaign.
A hunter reportedly spotted Christian’s vehicle crashed in a Wildlife Refuge just south of Erick, Oklahoma, and called the police.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation officers arrived and discovered Christian deceased.
“OSBI officials said the Sayre Police Department contacted them about the disappearance of Christian, who was last seen in Sayre on Tuesday, according to a news release.
The Beckham County Sheriff’s Office told KOCO 5 that a deputy was patrolling the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Refuge Thursday morning when they contacted a hunter who had seen a vehicle crashed off a high ridge overlooking Fish Creek.
That vehicle belonged to Christian, and his body was found inside the pickup truck. Christian’s body has since been taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office, where a cause and manner of death will be determined, KOCO 5 News reported.
OKLAHOMA STATE SENATE CANDIDATE FOUND DECEASED#OSBI #OneTeamOneMission pic.twitter.com/gONl0Jko09
— OSBI (@OSBI_OK) May 1, 2026
The cause of Christian’s death is still unclear.
One of Christian’s opponents, Joe Buchanan, expressed his sympathies on social media.
“Carol and I are devastated to hear about Barry Christian’s passing. We are keeping his family and friends in our prayers, and hope our community can come together after this horrible tragedy,” Buchanan posted on his Facebook page.
Christian’s family asked for prayers and for everyone to treat their father’s legacy with “grace” and “dignity.”
“Please pray for our family and friends. 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,” a statement from Christian’s daughter, Brooklyn, read.
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