In 2022, Rep. Clay Staires was elected to represent House District 66 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Staires was born in Wichita, Kansas; his earliest memories are living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both his parents are Tulsa natives.
He went to Skiatook Highschool, and following graduation, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in education. After graduating from OU, he began teaching biology and coaching track and football at Tulsa Memorial high school.
Several years later, Staires moved to Kansas City to take another teaching job at Hickman Mills high school. While in Kansas City, he met his wife, Lisa, and they married in 1998. They have two daughters, Maddy and Clare.
In 2002, his family returned to Avant, Oklahoma, to run the family ministry, Shepherd's Ford Ranch, for ten years. In 2012, Staires moved to Skiatook, Oklahoma, to start The Leadership Initiative, which helps small business owners lead their companies through the transitions accompanied by growth.