62 Facts About Buddy Roemer

Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III was an American politician, investor, and banker who served as the 52nd governor of Louisiana from 1988 to 1992, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1988.

In March 1991, while serving as governor, Roemer switched affiliation from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

Buddy Roemer was a candidate for the presidential nominations of the Republican Party and the Reform Party in 2012.

Buddy Roemer withdrew from those contests and sought the 2012 Americans Elect presidential nomination until that group announced it would not field a candidate in 2012 because no candidate reached the required minimum threshold of support to be listed on its ballot.

Buddy Roemer eventually endorsed Libertarian Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, for president in the 2012 general election.

Buddy Roemer was born on October 4,1943, in Shreveport, the son of Charles Elson "Budgie" Roemer, II and the former Adeline McDade.

Buddy Roemer was reared on the family's Scopena plantation near Bossier City.

Buddy Roemer attended public schools and graduated in 1960 as valedictorian of Bossier High School.

Buddy Roemer was elected in 1972 as a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention held in 1973.

Buddy Roemer's father had been in 1971 the campaign manager for Edwin Edwards and became commissioner of administration during Edwards' first term as governor.

Buddy Roemer worked on the Edwards campaign as a regional leader and later started a political consulting firm.

In 1978, Buddy Roemer lost in the nonpartisan blanket primary for the 4th district congressional seat, which was vacated by popular incumbent Joe Waggonner, from Bossier Parish.

That time, Wilson finished in third place, Buddy Roemer ranked second, again with 27 percent, and Leach led the field with 29 percent.

In Congress, Buddy Roemer frequently supported Ronald Reagan's policy initiatives and fought with the Democratic congressional leadership, though he remained in the party.

Buddy Roemer criticized then Democratic House leader Tip O'Neill of Massachusetts for being "too liberal", and was in turn characterized by Speaker O'Neill as being "often wrong but never in doubt".

In 1981, Buddy Roemer joined forty-seven other House Democrats in supporting the passage of the Reagan tax cuts, strongly opposed by Speaker O'Neill and Buddy Roemer's fellow Louisiana Democrat Gillis William Long of Alexandria.

Buddy Roemer was a member of the "boll weevil" and the Conservative Democratic Forum.

Buddy Roemer was one of a large number of Democratic candidates to challenge three-term incumbent governor Edwin Edwards, whose flamboyant personality and reputation for questionable ethical practices had polarized voters.

Buddy Roemer's challengers were asked, in succession, if they would consider endorsing Edwards in the general election if they didn't make it to the runoff.

Buddy Roemer remained in that position until his death in 2004.

Buddy Roemer named the one-year state representative Dennis Stine of Lake Charles, a timber businessman, as the commissioner of administration, a post Stine held until the end of Buddy Roemer's term.

Buddy Roemer represented the reform-minded agenda that had redefined Louisiana politics during Roemer's first session.

Buddy Roemer hired the political consultant and pollster Elliott Stonecipher of Shreveport.

Buddy Roemer called a special session of the legislature to push an ambitious tax and fiscal reform program for state and local governments.

Buddy Roemer vowed to slash spending, abolish programs, and close state-run institutions.

Buddy Roemer was the first governor in recent state history to put a priority on protecting the environment.

Buddy Roemer acquired a reputation for being difficult to work with, something he had been frequently accused of as a member of the House as well.

Notwithstanding Governor Roemer's own father, Charles E Roemer, II having been a strong advocate for African-American Civil Rights in his own political career in Louisiana, Governor Roemer refused to consider a pardon for Tyler in a racially charged environment where David Duke was gaining popularity and rising to prominent political power.

Buddy Roemer's veto alienated large numbers of his socially conservative electoral base.

Buddy Roemer came under fire for hiring a friend to teach positive thinking to his staff.

Buddy Roemer's widow is Patti Crocker Marchiafava of Elkin, North Carolina; the couple had one child, Dakota Frost Roemer, a businessman in Baton Rouge, who in 2012 married the former Heather Rae Gatte, daughter of Nacis and Patty Gatte of Iota, Louisiana.

Buddy Roemer presided over the legalization of a state lottery and controversial riverboat gambling, initiatives some reformers opposed.

Buddy Roemer left office before the riverboat casinos or video poker went on line.

In March 1991, Roemer switched to the Republican Party just months before the state elections, apparently at the urging of Bush White House Chief of Staff John H Sununu.

Buddy Roemer was the chairman of the 1988 Host Committee.

The convention, as expected, endorsed US Representative Clyde C Holloway, the favored candidate of the anti-abortion forces in the state, with whom Roemer was at odds at the time.

Buddy Roemer was wounded by his mistakes as governor, while Edwards and Duke each had a passionate core group of supporters.

One of the contributing factors to Buddy Roemer's defeat in the 1991 primary was a last-minute advertising barrage by Marine Shale owner Jack Kent.

Buddy Roemer's defeat led to a nationally watched runoff election between Duke and Edwards.

Buddy Roemer ended up endorsing Edwards rather than Duke, who was the putative Republican candidate.

Immediately after leaving office as governor, Buddy Roemer taught a course in economics for the spring semester 1992 at his alma mater, Harvard University.

Buddy Roemer served as the chairman of the board and Traigle served as president.

Buddy Roemer was a strong supporter of improving Louisiana and US trade with Mexico.

In 1995, Buddy Roemer attempted a political comeback when he again ran for governor.

Buddy Roemer held a wide lead for much of the campaign, but faded in the days before the primary election as State Senator Mike Foster, who switched affiliation from Democratic to Republican during the campaign, took conservative votes away from him.

Buddy Roemer passed on the race, and Republican US Representative David Vitter of Louisiana's 1st congressional district, which includes suburban New Orleans, was elected to succeed Breaux.

Buddy Roemer formed a company that built retirement housing near universities, with alumni from each university being the target buyers.

Buddy Roemer founded Business First Bank, based in Baton Rouge, of which he was the President and CEO, and his daughter-in-law, Heather, is the assistant vice president of human resources.

In June 2005, Buddy Roemer underwent triple bypass heart surgery at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center.

In 2008, Buddy Roemer supported and campaigned for US Senator John McCain of Arizona for US President.

In 2000, Buddy Roemer was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.

In January 2011, Buddy Roemer told Baton Rouge television station WAFB that he was considering a bid for the US presidency in 2012.

On July 21,2011 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Buddy Roemer announced his entry as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president.

On March 3,2011, Buddy Roemer announced the formation of an exploratory committee to prepare for a possible run for the 2012 presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

Buddy Roemer stressed that campaign finance reform would be a key issue in his campaign.

Buddy Roemer was not even included as an option in several polls until the 2012 Iowa Caucus and the 2012 New Hampshire primary in early January.

Buddy Roemer's donations averaged $30,000 a month, far below what is raised by the front runners.

Buddy Roemer's campaign garnered some visibility when Roemer starred in an advertisement for Stephen Colbert's Super PAC, in November 2011.

Buddy Roemer was married three times, with his first two marriages ending in divorce.

Buddy Roemer had three children: daughter Caroline, and sons Chas and Dakota.

Buddy Roemer had a stroke in 2014, which affected his speech.

Buddy Roemer died at his home in Baton Rouge on May 17,2021, at age 77.