Tom Schedler
Encyclopedia
John Thomas Schedler, known as Tom Schedler (born January 24, 1950), is a politician
from suburban St. Tammany Parish
, Louisiana
, USA, who served as the District 11 Louisiana state senator
from 1996 to 2008, when he was term-limited after twelve years. Thereafter, he was named chief deputy to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne
, a former Senate colleague of Schedler's from Baton Rouge
. When Dardenne became lieutenant governor
-elect, Schedler began acting as secretary of state
. Dardenne's elevation to lieutenant governor was delayed formally and officially to November 22, 2010, to obviate a statutory requirement to hold a special election
to fill the position of secretary of state. Thus on November 22, Schedler became the official secretary of state.
Schedler narrowly won a full term as Secretary of State in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. He defeated Jim Tucker
of Terrytown
, the outgoing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 449,370 (50.5 percent) to 440,872 (49.5 percent). Schedler carried only twenty-six of the sixty-four parishes, and his margin of victory could be attributed to his home parish of St. Tammany, which he won by greater than a two-to-one margin.
, Schedler graduated in 1967 from De La Salle High School
. In 1999, he was honored by De La Salle as one of the school's 125 outstanding graduates over the first half-century of the institution. In 1971, Schedler received his Bachelor of Science
degree in marketing
from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1971 to 1976 and the Louisiana National Guard
. His business concerns have been in the fields of banking, real estate
, and health-care management. In the middle 1990s, he was a hospital foundation director. From 1990 to 1996, he was the director of managed care services and business development at a hospital in St. Tammany Parish.
A member of the Republican State Central Committee, Schedler was a George W. Bush
-committed delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention
in Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
. He was also chairman of the State Senate Republican delegation.
From 1984 to 1990, Schedler was chairman of the Slidell Board of Zoning and Adjustment. In 1995, he was the president of the St. Tammany Municipal Association. From 1990 to 1996, Schedler served on the Slidell
City Council, having been vice president and then president of the body. In 1990, at the age of forty, he was named "Slidell Citizen of the Year". In 1991, he graduated from the civic program "Leadership Louisiana", sponsored by the interest group Council for a Better Louisiana. Schedler is a former president of Slidell Rotary International
, having also been a Paul Harris
Fellow, an honor named for the founder of the organization. He has been affiliated with the Slidell Chamber of Commerce
and the Lions Club. He is married to the former Stephanie Gele (born March 3, 1950) of Lafayette, an administrator of hospice
programs in the Greater New Orleans area. The Schedlers have three grown daughters. They attend St. Margaret Mary Catholic
Church in Slidell. The Schedlers now reside in Mandeville
in St. Tammany Parish.
of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission
.
In 1999, Schedler was twice named "Legislator of the Month" by the Louisiana Municipal Association and received the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Victims and Citizens Against Crime. He was named "Legislator of the Year" by both the Louisiana Hospital Association and the Metro Hospital Council of New Orleans. He also received the Fred Henderson Memorial Award from the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness. In 2000, the Alliance for Good Government, the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, the Louisiana Hospital Association, and the Louisiana Association for Mental Health named him "Legislator of the Year". In 2001, Schedler received the Franklin Smith Award from the Association for Retarded Citizens of Louisiana for his work with children with mental disabilities.
In 2002, Schedler was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Rural Hospital Coalition and the Louisiana. School Counselor Association. He was also honored by the Rural Health Association and, again, the Louisiana Municipal Association. In 2003, he was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Black Bag Medical Society for his work in health care policy and workforce issues
Schedler and then State Representative
and later U.S. Senator David Vitter
co-authored the repeal of the Louisiana inheritance tax
, which took effect in July 2004. He authored or co-authored legislation in the areas of tort reform, ethics, and health care. In 1997 and 2000, he attempted to call a state constitutional convention to address the Louisiana tax code. He wrote legislation that generated approximately $1 billion of additional Medicaid
funds for the elderly and disabled, all of which were placed in trust. After thirteen failed attempt, he obtained passge of the Preferred Drug Bill, estimated to save Medicaid $60 to $100 million per year in Louisiana. In 2003, Schedler led the passage of the first major reform bill dealing with the state charity hospital system, which dates to the era of Governor Huey P. Long, Jr.
, a chiropractor
and a three-term Republican state senator from Slidell, did not seek reelection in nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 21, 1995. Schedler and nine other candidates hence entered the race. Schedler finished second and entered the Louisiana general election
with Pat Brister
, later the state chairman of the Louisiana GOP
. He received 6,122 (16.72 percent) to her 7,691 (21 percent). A third candidate, Republican Alvin D. Singletary (born 1942), Schedler's fellow Slidell city council member, ran third, having trailed Schedler by only seven votes, 6,155 (16.7 percent). Four other Republicans, two Democrats
, and an unaffiliated contender, polled the remaining 46 percent of the primary ballots. In the second balloting on November 18, Schedler won 23,354 (56.6 percent) to Brister's 17,876 (43.4 percent). Schedler was unopposed in the 1999 primary. On October 4, 2003, he convincingly defeated a fellow Republican, Bruce S. Authement of Covington, 22,366 votes (65.2 percent) to 11,920 (34.8 percent).
Schedler held the single-member District F seat on the Slidell City Council from June 1990 to January 1996. On March 26, 1994, he was reelected to the city council in a primary with fellow Republican Mark D. Fridge (born 1957), 632 to 476. He resigned from the council in 1995 to become state senator. In a runoff election on April 20, 1996, Michael J. Molbert (born 1945), with 552 votes (52 percent) defeated Mark Fridge, who polled 509 ballots (48 percent) to finish Schedler's second city council term. Sam Caruso, mayor
of Slidell during Schedler's service in the Senate cited Schedler as being "noticeably more effective than most people" and "willing and able to swim against the tide."
As his successor, Schedler endorsed a fellow Republican, Jack Donahue
(born 1944), a Mandeville contractor who easily won the Senate seat in the 2007 primary election over the term-limited more conservative Republican State Representative Pete Schneider
of Slidell.
In June 2009, Schedler was listed as a directors of a national presidential fund-raising effort promoting Governor Bobby Jindal
. According to the campaign treasurer, Dan Kyle
, former Louisiana legislative auditor, the group hopes to raise $60 million to persuade Jindal to seek the 2012 Republican nomination. Others on the committee are former State Representative Woody Jenkins
and U.S. Representative Steve Scalise
. Schedler had his name removed from the group, not because he opposes Jindal but because such fund-raising activity could conflict with his role as Dardenne's deputy.
when Dardenne was sworn in as lieutenant governor
. Dardenne had defeated Democrat Caroline Fayard
in the 2010 State of Louisiana elections
.
Schedler faces opposition in the race for secretary of state from fellow Republican Jim Tucker
of Terrytown
, the outgoing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Caroline Fayard had also been expected to seek the position but did not file.Departing State Representative Walker Hines
of New Orleans announced that he too would run for secretary of state but then withdrew his candidacy.
Schedler said that it has been difficult to raise money for the race because the position of secretary of state is "one that's particularly difficult to get people excited about."
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from suburban St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, USA, who served as the District 11 Louisiana state senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1996 to 2008, when he was term-limited after twelve years. Thereafter, he was named chief deputy to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
, a former Senate colleague of Schedler's from Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. When Dardenne became lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
-elect, Schedler began acting as secretary of state
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
. Dardenne's elevation to lieutenant governor was delayed formally and officially to November 22, 2010, to obviate a statutory requirement to hold a special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to fill the position of secretary of state. Thus on November 22, Schedler became the official secretary of state.
Schedler narrowly won a full term as Secretary of State in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. He defeated Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker (Louisiana politician)
James Wayne Tucker, known as Jim Tucker , is the departing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and an ally of Governor Bobby Jindal. An investment banker from the Terrytown section of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Tucker's District 86 includes precincts from both Jefferson and...
of Terrytown
Terrytown, Louisiana
Terrytown is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. It is a suburb within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 25,430 at the 2000 census...
, the outgoing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 449,370 (50.5 percent) to 440,872 (49.5 percent). Schedler carried only twenty-six of the sixty-four parishes, and his margin of victory could be attributed to his home parish of St. Tammany, which he won by greater than a two-to-one margin.
Education, military, occupation
A native of New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Schedler graduated in 1967 from De La Salle High School
De La Salle High School (New Orleans)
De La Salle High School is a co-educational parochial high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. De La Salle is part of the New Orleans parochial school system. It was originally opened in 1949 as an all-boys school. However, the school began accepting girls in 1992, and it is today a co-educational...
. In 1999, he was honored by De La Salle as one of the school's 125 outstanding graduates over the first half-century of the institution. In 1971, Schedler received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1971 to 1976 and the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
. His business concerns have been in the fields of banking, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, and health-care management. In the middle 1990s, he was a hospital foundation director. From 1990 to 1996, he was the director of managed care services and business development at a hospital in St. Tammany Parish.
A member of the Republican State Central Committee, Schedler was a George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
-committed delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
The 2000 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2066 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush as the Republican candidate for U.S....
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He was also chairman of the State Senate Republican delegation.
From 1984 to 1990, Schedler was chairman of the Slidell Board of Zoning and Adjustment. In 1995, he was the president of the St. Tammany Municipal Association. From 1990 to 1996, Schedler served on the Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
City Council, having been vice president and then president of the body. In 1990, at the age of forty, he was named "Slidell Citizen of the Year". In 1991, he graduated from the civic program "Leadership Louisiana", sponsored by the interest group Council for a Better Louisiana. Schedler is a former president of Slidell Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, having also been a Paul Harris
Paul P. Harris
Paul Percy Harris was a Chicago, Illinois, attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, a service organization that currently has well over one million members worldwide.-Biography:...
Fellow, an honor named for the founder of the organization. He has been affiliated with the Slidell Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and the Lions Club. He is married to the former Stephanie Gele (born March 3, 1950) of Lafayette, an administrator of hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
programs in the Greater New Orleans area. The Schedlers have three grown daughters. They attend St. Margaret Mary Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church in Slidell. The Schedlers now reside in Mandeville
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
in St. Tammany Parish.
Legislative service
In addition to his own St. Tammany Parish, Schedler's district included neighboring Tangipahoa Parish. Schedler served on the Health and Welfare, Judiciary C, Retirement, and Local and municipal Affairs committees. He is a former chairman of the Legislative Audit Advisory Council and the Louisiana Commission on Mental Health. He was also among the members of the select committee which handled legislative oversightOversight
Oversight may refer to:*Oversight , a French Thoroughbred racehorse*Regulation – rulemaking*Separation of powers - the concept of separate branches of government or agencies exercising authority over one another...
of the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission
Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission
The Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission , commonly called The Causeway Commission, is an entity responsible for the maintenance, construction, and enforcement of safety laws on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. It is headquartered in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie.The Causeway Commission...
.
In 1999, Schedler was twice named "Legislator of the Month" by the Louisiana Municipal Association and received the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Victims and Citizens Against Crime. He was named "Legislator of the Year" by both the Louisiana Hospital Association and the Metro Hospital Council of New Orleans. He also received the Fred Henderson Memorial Award from the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness. In 2000, the Alliance for Good Government, the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, the Louisiana Hospital Association, and the Louisiana Association for Mental Health named him "Legislator of the Year". In 2001, Schedler received the Franklin Smith Award from the Association for Retarded Citizens of Louisiana for his work with children with mental disabilities.
In 2002, Schedler was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Rural Hospital Coalition and the Louisiana. School Counselor Association. He was also honored by the Rural Health Association and, again, the Louisiana Municipal Association. In 2003, he was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Black Bag Medical Society for his work in health care policy and workforce issues
Schedler and then State Representative
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and later U.S. Senator David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
co-authored the repeal of the Louisiana inheritance tax
Inheritance tax
An inheritance tax or estate tax is a levy paid by a person who inherits money or property or a tax on the estate of a person who has died...
, which took effect in July 2004. He authored or co-authored legislation in the areas of tort reform, ethics, and health care. In 1997 and 2000, he attempted to call a state constitutional convention to address the Louisiana tax code. He wrote legislation that generated approximately $1 billion of additional Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
funds for the elderly and disabled, all of which were placed in trust. After thirteen failed attempt, he obtained passge of the Preferred Drug Bill, estimated to save Medicaid $60 to $100 million per year in Louisiana. In 2003, Schedler led the passage of the first major reform bill dealing with the state charity hospital system, which dates to the era of Governor Huey P. Long, Jr.
Election results
Gerry E. HintonGerry E. Hinton
Gerry Earl Hinton was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and served from 1984 to 1996 as a member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 11 Gerry Earl Hinton (June 30, 1930 – July 2, 2000) was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and...
, a chiropractor
Chiropractor
A Chiropractor, according to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges , "focuses on the relationship between the body's main structures – the skeleton, the muscles and the nerves – and the patient's health. Chiropractors believe that health can be improved and preserved by making adjustments to...
and a three-term Republican state senator from Slidell, did not seek reelection in nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 21, 1995. Schedler and nine other candidates hence entered the race. Schedler finished second and entered the Louisiana general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
with Pat Brister
Pat Brister
Patricia Phillips Brister, known as Pat Brister , is the president-elect of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Brister is a Republican politician and businesswoman from Mandeville on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish...
, later the state chairman of the Louisiana GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He received 6,122 (16.72 percent) to her 7,691 (21 percent). A third candidate, Republican Alvin D. Singletary (born 1942), Schedler's fellow Slidell city council member, ran third, having trailed Schedler by only seven votes, 6,155 (16.7 percent). Four other Republicans, two Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and an unaffiliated contender, polled the remaining 46 percent of the primary ballots. In the second balloting on November 18, Schedler won 23,354 (56.6 percent) to Brister's 17,876 (43.4 percent). Schedler was unopposed in the 1999 primary. On October 4, 2003, he convincingly defeated a fellow Republican, Bruce S. Authement of Covington, 22,366 votes (65.2 percent) to 11,920 (34.8 percent).
Schedler held the single-member District F seat on the Slidell City Council from June 1990 to January 1996. On March 26, 1994, he was reelected to the city council in a primary with fellow Republican Mark D. Fridge (born 1957), 632 to 476. He resigned from the council in 1995 to become state senator. In a runoff election on April 20, 1996, Michael J. Molbert (born 1945), with 552 votes (52 percent) defeated Mark Fridge, who polled 509 ballots (48 percent) to finish Schedler's second city council term. Sam Caruso, mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Slidell during Schedler's service in the Senate cited Schedler as being "noticeably more effective than most people" and "willing and able to swim against the tide."
As his successor, Schedler endorsed a fellow Republican, Jack Donahue
Jack Donahue (Louisiana politician)
John Leo Donahue, Jr., known as Jack Donahue is a building contractor and philanthropist in Mandeville, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 11...
(born 1944), a Mandeville contractor who easily won the Senate seat in the 2007 primary election over the term-limited more conservative Republican State Representative Pete Schneider
Pete Schneider
Peter Joseph Schneider was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees . Schneider batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles, California....
of Slidell.
In June 2009, Schedler was listed as a directors of a national presidential fund-raising effort promoting Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
. According to the campaign treasurer, Dan Kyle
Dan Kyle
Daniel Guin Kyle, known as Dan Kyle , is a businessman from Baton Rouge Louisiana, who served as his state's legislative auditor from 1989–2003, when he stepped down to run unsuccessfully for insurance commissioner. An active Republican, Kyle uncovered many instances of misappropriations in state...
, former Louisiana legislative auditor, the group hopes to raise $60 million to persuade Jindal to seek the 2012 Republican nomination. Others on the committee are former State Representative Woody Jenkins
Woody Jenkins
Louis Elwood "Woody" Jenkins is a newspaper editor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972–2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate....
and U.S. Representative Steve Scalise
Steve Scalise
Stephen Joseph "Steve" Scalise is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. He is a member of the Republican Party...
. Schedler had his name removed from the group, not because he opposes Jindal but because such fund-raising activity could conflict with his role as Dardenne's deputy.
Louisiana secretary of state
Schedler became the acting secretary of stateSecretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
when Dardenne was sworn in as lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
. Dardenne had defeated Democrat Caroline Fayard
Caroline Fayard
Cathryn Caroline Fayard , daughter of Cynthia Felder Fayard and Calvin Clifford Fayard, Jr., of Springfield, Louisiana, is a Democrat who sought the office of lieutenant governor of Louisiana in the 2010 elections....
in the 2010 State of Louisiana elections
Louisiana state elections, 2010
-Federal:Elections for Federal offices, as in the rest of the country, occurred on November 2. The Primaries were held on August 28 with a runoff for the Republican U.S. House nomination occurring on October 2 in Louisiana's 3rd congressional district .-United States Congress:Louisiana's Class III...
.
Schedler faces opposition in the race for secretary of state from fellow Republican Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker (Louisiana politician)
James Wayne Tucker, known as Jim Tucker , is the departing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and an ally of Governor Bobby Jindal. An investment banker from the Terrytown section of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Tucker's District 86 includes precincts from both Jefferson and...
of Terrytown
Terrytown, Louisiana
Terrytown is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. It is a suburb within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 25,430 at the 2000 census...
, the outgoing Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Caroline Fayard had also been expected to seek the position but did not file.Departing State Representative Walker Hines
Walker Hines (Louisiana politician)
Walker Hines is a businessman from New Orleans, Louisiana, who is vacating his seat, after a single term, in the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 95 in Orleans Parish, shifted to Livingston Parish in 2013....
of New Orleans announced that he too would run for secretary of state but then withdrew his candidacy.
Schedler said that it has been difficult to raise money for the race because the position of secretary of state is "one that's particularly difficult to get people excited about."