Changes

Schedler said that he is leaving his office with "a heavy heart knowing I have disappointed the people in my life who care for me the most. But I have also experienced from them the miraculous power of forgiveness and grace during the twilight of my career, and for that I am grateful."<ref name=ghilburn>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/05/01/schedler-quits-amid-sex-scandal-see-who-may-run-job/569410002/|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|title=Schedler quits among sex scandal; see who may run for job|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=May 1, 2018}}</ref>

Schedler said that he is leaving his office with "a heavy heart knowing I have disappointed the people in my life who care for me the most. But I have also experienced from them the miraculous power of forgiveness and grace during the twilight of my career, and for that I am grateful."<ref name=ghilburn>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/05/01/schedler-quits-amid-sex-scandal-see-who-may-run-job/569410002/|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|title=Schedler quits among sex scandal; see who may run for job|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=May 1, 2018}}</ref>

Five state legislators, four of whom are Republicans, have expressed interest in running for the job: Representative [[Julie Stokes]] of Kenner in Jefferson Parish is the first announced candidate. State Representative Paul Bryan Hollis of Covington in St. Tammany Parish, along with state Senators Gerald Long of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] and Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth of West Monroe have expressed interest in the race. A Democratic potential candidate is state Senator Gary L. Smith, Jr., of Norco in St. Charles Parish in suburban New Orleans.<ref name=ghilburn/>

Meanwhile, Schedler will receive for the rest of his life a total state pension of $107,146.20 in twelve monthly payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_2918d2b6-4e61-11e8-b8ad-b7ed32575a9a.html|title=Interim secretary of state says he saw no signs of misconduct; see Tom Schedler's pension pay|author=Mark Ballard|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=May 2, 2018|accessdate=May 3, 2018}}</ref>

Meanwhile, Schedler will receive for the rest of his life a total state pension of $107,146.20 in twelve monthly payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_2918d2b6-4e61-11e8-b8ad-b7ed32575a9a.html|title=Interim secretary of state says he saw no signs of misconduct; see Tom Schedler's pension pay|author=Mark Ballard|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=May 2, 2018|accessdate=May 3, 2018}}</ref>

In conjunction with congressional elections on November 6, 2018, a special election will be held to choose a successor to Schedler to serve the remainder of the term through January 2020. Three Republicans in the race include sitting state Representatives [[Julie Stokes]] of Kenner in Jefferson Parish, the first to announce; [[Rick Edmonds]], a minister from Baton Rouge who has vowed to act as a "watchdog" to guarantee election integrity, and Paul Hollis of Covington in St. Tammany Parish. Almond Gaston Crowe, Jr., who served in both houses of the legislature from St. Tammany Parish prior to 2016, is still another candidaate; Crowe also has experience in records management. A Democrat seeking the seat is Renee Free, a former employee of the offices of the secretary of state and the Louisiana attorney general. Not seeking the position are two Republican state senators previously mentioned, Gerald Long of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] and Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth of West Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/07/05/secretary-state-see-whos-whos-out-race/759474002/|title=Secretary of state race: See who's in, who's out|author=Greg Hilburn|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=July 5, 2018|accessdate=July 6, 2018}}</ref>

==References==

==References==