Changes

Maness received his [[bachelor's degree]] from the University of Tampa in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]], and his master's degree from [[Harvard University]]'s [[Kennedy School of Government]]. He attended the Air Command and Staff College and the College of Naval Warfare.<ref name=ballot/> He and his wife, Candace, reside in Madisonville in St. Tammany Parish in [[suburb]]an [[New Orleans]]. The couple has five children.

Maness received his [[bachelor's degree]] from the University of Tampa in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]], and his master's degree from [[Harvard University]]'s [[Kennedy School of Government]]. He attended the Air Command and Staff College and the College of Naval Warfare.<ref name=ballot/> He and his wife, Candace, reside in Madisonville in St. Tammany Parish in [[suburb]]an [[New Orleans]]. The couple has five children.

In December 2015, Maness announced his candidacy to succeed Vitter in the Senate. With 90,812 votes (5 percent), Maness finished sixth in the primary election on November 8, 2016, held in conjunction with the U.S. presidential election in which [[Donald Trump]] handily carried the state over [[Hillary Clinton]]. The two leading Senate candidates, state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy, a Democrat-turned-Republican, and veteran Democratic former state senator and current Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, met in a December 10 runoff election for the right to succeed Vitter. Kennedy won a large victory over Campbell. Eliminated in the primary were Republican U.S. Representatives Charles Boustany of [[Lafayette]] and [[John Fleming]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], two physicians<ref name=returns>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> who gave up presumably safe House seats for the Senate race. [[David Duke]], a former figure in the [[Ku Klux Klan]], who joined the GOP in 1989 finished seventh with 58,581 votes (3 percent).<ref name=returns/>

In December 2015, Maness announced his candidacy to succeed Vitter in the Senate. With 90,812 votes (5 percent), Maness finished sixth in the primary election on November 8, 2016, held in conjunction with the U.S. presidential election in which [[Donald Trump]] handily carried the state over [[Hillary Clinton]]. The two leading Senate candidates, state Treasurer [[John Neely Kennedy]], a Democrat-turned-Republican, and veteran Democratic former state senator and current Public Service Commissioner Foster Lonnie Campbell, Jr., met in a December 10 runoff election for the right to succeed Vitter. Kennedy won a large victory over Campbell. Eliminated in the primary were Republican U.S. Representatives Charles Boustany of [[Lafayette]] and [[John Fleming]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], two physicians<ref name=returns>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> who gave up presumably safe House seats for the Senate race. [[David Duke]], a former figure in the [[Ku Klux Klan]], who joined the GOP in 1989, finished seventh with 58,581 votes (3 percent).<ref name=returns/>

Maness received some 112,000 votes fewer than he had in the 2014 Senate election and had been urged to drop out of the race to support the equally conservative Fleming, who led in six parishes but finished fifth in the voting. Maness and Fleming both pursued positions with the Trump administration in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/article_5bc8107e-a6d2-11e6-8011-9f0284eb23bf.html|title=Foster Campbell seen as facing steep climb in U.S. Senate race against John Kennedy|publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> but thus far only Fleming has been successful in that regard.

Maness received some 112,000 votes fewer than he had in the 2014 Senate election and had been urged to drop out of the race to support the equally conservative Fleming, who led in six parishes but finished fifth in the voting. Maness and Fleming both pursued positions with the Trump administration in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/article_5bc8107e-a6d2-11e6-8011-9f0284eb23bf.html|title=Foster Campbell seen as facing steep climb in U.S. Senate race against John Kennedy|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> but thus far only Fleming has been successful in that regard.

In the last days of the state legislative contest, Maness criticized national Republican leaders for calling upon conservative [[Roy Moore]] to withdraw from the U.S. Senate special election in [[Alabama]] after allegations surfaced that Moore while in his early thirties had engaged in sexual misconduct with at least six female teenagers. Maness contends that Moore should continue his race as no legal charges have been filed in any of the incidents. When David Bellinger, a liberal caller to a radio show, called Maness "an extremist," the candidate told the caller to "blow me and get out of here". Columnist Stephanie Grace said that Maness' crude remark shows that his skin is "too thin" for public office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_5cde4f20-ca29-11e7-8f99-63fcb9682d53.html|title=Maness telling radio show caller 'blow me' proves his skin too thin for public office|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Stephanie Grace|date=November 15, 2017|accessdate=November 16, 2017}}</ref> The outburst may have cost Maness dearly. He received 3,154 votes (42 percent) to Wright's 4,383 (58 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=November 18, 2017|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref> Maness has hence lost three consecutive political races in his adopted home state.

In the last days of the state legislative contest, Maness criticized national Republican leaders for calling upon conservative [[Roy Moore]] to withdraw from the U.S. Senate special election in [[Alabama]] after allegations surfaced that Moore while in his early thirties had engaged in sexual misconduct with at least six female teenagers. Maness contends that Moore should continue his race as no legal charges have been filed in any of the incidents. When David Bellinger, a liberal caller to a radio show, called Maness "an extremist," the candidate told the caller to "blow me and get out of here". Columnist Stephanie Grace said that Maness' crude remark shows that his skin is "too thin" for public office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_5cde4f20-ca29-11e7-8f99-63fcb9682d53.html|title=Maness telling radio show caller 'blow me' proves his skin too thin for public office|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Stephanie Grace|date=November 15, 2017|accessdate=November 16, 2017}}</ref> The outburst may have cost Maness dearly. He received 3,154 votes (42 percent) to Wright's 4,383 (58 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=November 18, 2017|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref> Maness has hence lost three consecutive political races in his adopted home state.

On October 4, 2018, Maness launched ''The Rob Maness Sho,'' a political forum carried daily on CRTV.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opslens.com/2018/10/04/the-rob-maness-show/|title=''The Rob Maness Show''|publisher=Opslens.com|accessdate=October 31, 2018}}</ref>

On October 4, 2018, Maness launched ''The Rob Maness Sho,'' a political forum carried daily on CRTV.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opslens.com/2018/10/04/the-rob-maness-show/|title=''The Rob Maness Show''|publisher=Opslens.com|accessdate=October 31, 2018}}</ref>

In 2019, Maness confirmed that he had left the GOP and re-registered as an [[Independent]]. He opposes [[Eddie Rispone]], the remaining Republican in the gubernatorial contest on November 16 against the Democrat [[John Bel Edwards]]. Maness claimed that Rispone represents everything in politics that should be reversed. The condemnation came after Maness challenged Rispone's remarks critical of Governor Edwards' West Point service, particularly after Rispone declined to enlist during the [[Vietnam War]]. Maness said that he supported U.S. Representative [[Ralph Abraham]] in the first round of voting but would not follow Abraham's lead in endorsing Rispone. Still, Maness claimed that he does "not endorse" Edwards but remains strongly opposed to Rispone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=EK3vZdI9N60&app=desktop|title=A Louisiana Veteran Responds|publisher=You Tube|date=November 2, 2019|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, Maness confirmed that he had left the GOP and re-registered as an [[Independent]]. He opposed [Eddie Rispone]], the remaining Republican in the gubernatorial contest on November 16 against the Democratic incumbent [[John Bel Edwards]]. Maness claimed that Rispone represents everything in politics that should be reversed. The condemnation came after Maness challenged Rispone's remarks critical of Governor Edwards' West Point service, particularly after Rispone declined to enlist during the [[Vietnam War]]. Maness said that he supported U.S. Representative [[Ralph Abraham]] in the first round of voting but would not follow Abraham's lead in endorsing Rispone. Still, Maness claimed that he does "not endorse" Edwards but remains strongly opposed to Rispone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=EK3vZdI9N60&app=desktop|title=A Louisiana Veteran Responds|publisher=You Tube|date=November 2, 2019|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref>

==References==

==References==