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===George W. Bush appointee===

===George W. Bush appointee===

She was also a former [[ambassador]] to the [[United Nations]] Commission on the Status of Women under former [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]. Brister's tenure on the commission included the annual meetings held from February 28 through March 11, 2006, and again from February 25 to March 7, 2008. Brister also served on the elected St. Tammany Parish Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Politics/Louisiana_Politics_New_Orleans_Ray_Nagin__Landrieu_Scores_Support_Congress_Race__5868.asp|title=Pat Brister|publisher=bayoubuzz.com|accessdate=November 7, 2009}}</ref>  On October 22, 2011, she was elected parish president of St. Tammany Parish with 73 percent of the vote; she was sworn into office in January 2012.<ref name="nola.com"/>​

In 2002, President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Brister to a three-year term on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of [[Dallas]], [[Texas]].<ref name=fhfb/>​

In May 2006, Brister was confirmed by the [[U.S. Senate]] as Ambassador to the Commission on the Status of Women,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidenorthside.com/06JulyAug/kudos0607.htm|title=Kudos-Spotlight on noteworthy achievements|publisher=insidenorthside.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref> after her first convention session had ended. The commission was founded in 1946, a year after the [[United Nations]] was organized. During her tenure, Brister defended the Bush administration regarding its policies concerning the role of women and repeatedly praised the appointment of [[Condoleezza Rice]] as the [[United States Secretary of State]]. "The policies of the [[U.S. government]] have been and continue to be to encourage countries to include women in their initiatives. President Bush has been a strong advocate of democratization, and we fully believe empowering women will strengthen a country. We will continue to talk about that specific issue here at CSW," said Brister.<ref name=csw>{{cite web|url=http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2008/March/20080305133314xjsnommis6.304568e-02.html#ixzz0WFU5fDTS|title=Ambassador Brister Discusses U.S. Support of Women Worldwide|date=March 5, 2008|publisher=America.gov|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref>​

In 2006, Bush named Brister as the [[Ambassador]] to the [[United Nations]] Commission on the Status of Women. Brister's tenure on the commission included the annual meetings held from February 28 through March 11, 2006, and again from February 25 to March 7, 2008.<ref name="nola.com"/>​

Brister continued, having noted that the United States commitment to medical care for women and children: "The US has been at the forefront, particularly here at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, in advocating for availability of medical care for women and children. We point to President Bush's Emergency Plan for [[AIDS]] relief . . . which supports a variety of bilateral, regional, and multilateral initiatives."<ref name=csw/>​

In May 2006, Brister was confirmed by the [[U.S. Senate]] as Ambassador to the Commission on the Status of Women,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidenorthside.com/06JulyAug/kudos0607.htm|title=Kudos-Spotlight on noteworthy achievements|publisher=insidenorthside.com|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref> after her first convention session had ended. The commission was founded in 1946, a year after the [[United Nations]] was organized. During her tenure, Brister defended the Bush administration regarding its policies concerning the role of women and repeatedly praised the appointment of [[Condoleezza Rice]] as the [[United States Secretary of State]]. "The policies of the [[U.S. government]] have been and continue to be to encourage countries to include women in their initiatives. President Bush has been a strong advocate of democratization, and we fully believe empowering women will strengthen a country. We will continue to talk about that specific issue here at CSW," said Brister.<ref name=csw>{{cite web|url=http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2008/March/20080305133314xjsnommis6.304568e-02.html#ixzz0WFU5fDTS|title=Ambassador Brister Discusses U.S. Support of Women Worldwide|date=March 5, 2008|publisher=America.gov|accessdate=November 8, 2009}}</ref>​ Brister continued, having noted that the United States commitment to medical care for women and children: "The US has been at the forefront, particularly here at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, in advocating for availability of medical care for women and children. We point to President Bush's Emergency Plan for [[AIDS]] relief ... which supports a variety of bilateral, regional, and multilateral initiatives."<ref name=csw/>​

 

Brister won the first of her two terms on the St. Tammany Parish Council for District 4 in the primary election held on October 23, 1999. With 2,214 votes (54.1 percent), she defeated two fellow Republicans.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> Brister was unopposed for a second term in the 2003 primary. She declined to seek a third term and was succeeded by fellow Republican [[Reid Falconer]] of Madisonville, the winner of the 2007 primary over another Republican named John Robertson.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 20, 2007.</ref>​

Earlier in 1995, Brister ran unsuccessfully for state senator for District 11 (St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes). She was defeated in a runoff contest, 57 to 43 percent, by fellow Republican [[Tom Schedler]]<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 1995.</ref> of Slidell in St. Tammany Parish, who held the Senate seat from 1996 to 2008, when he was term-limited by state law and succeeded by the Mandeville Republican [[Jack Donahue]], who was term-limited in the 2019 primary.​ Schedler went on to serve as Louisiana Secretary of State, a post from which he was forced to resign in a sexual harassment scandal in 2018.

Earlier in 1995, Brister ran unsuccessfully for state senator for District 11 (St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes). She was defeated in a runoff contest, 57 to 43 percent, by fellow Republican [[Tom Schedler]]<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 1995.</ref> of Slidell in St. Tammany Parish, who held the Senate seat from 1996 to 2008, when he was term-limited by state law and succeeded by the Mandeville Republican [[Jack Donahue]], who was term-limited in the 2019 primary.​ Schedler went on to serve as Louisiana Secretary of State, a post from which he was forced to resign in a sexual harassment scandal in 2018.

In 2002, President Bush named Brister to a three-year term on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of [[Dallas]], [[Texas]].<ref name=fhfb/>​

===Governor Jindal appointee===

On January 9, 2009, Republican [[Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]] appointed Brister to the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, the panel which regulates, operates, and controls the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which includes the bridge system and the causeway approach road system on the North Shore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=903|title=Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Appointment of Patricia Brister to the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission|date=January 9, 2009|publisher=gov.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 8, 2009; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

On January 9, 2009, Republican [[Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]] appointed Brister to the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, the panel which regulates, operates, and controls the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which includes the bridge system and the causeway approach road system on the North Shore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=903|title=Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Appointment of Patricia Brister to the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission|date=January 9, 2009|publisher=gov.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 8, 2009; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

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In 2013, Brister attended a fundraiser for [[liberal]]  [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[U.S. Senator]] [[Mary Landrieu]], a candidate for a fourth term in the 2014 midterm elections. Landrieu was unseated by Republican then [[U.S. Representative]] [[Bill Cassidy]] of Louisiana's 6th congressional district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thedeadpelican.com/2013/brister.html|title=Former Louisiana GOP Chair Supports Obama? GOP Parish President Pat Brister is Singing Mary Landrieu's praises for her work for Louisiana families|publisher=''The Dead Pelican''|date=November 22, 2003|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref> Brister's embrace of Landrieu has been strongly criticized by [[Moon Griffon]], the [[conservative]] statewide [[radio]] commentator, then based in  [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] but since [[Lafayette]], a long-term critic of Senator Landrieu.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' November 22, 2013; December 3, 2013.</ref>

In 2013, Brister attended a fundraiser for [[liberal]]  then [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[U.S. Senator]] [[Mary Landrieu]], a candidate for a fourth term in the 2014 midterm elections. Landrieu was unseated by Republican then [[U.S. Representative]] [[Bill Cassidy]] of Louisiana's 6th congressional district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thedeadpelican.com/2013/brister.html|title=Former Louisiana GOP Chair Supports Obama? GOP Parish President Pat Brister is Singing Mary Landrieu's praises for her work for Louisiana families|publisher=''The Dead Pelican''|date=November 22, 2003|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref> Brister's embrace of Landrieu has been strongly criticized by [[Moon Griffon]], the [[conservative]] statewide [[radio]] commentator, then based in  [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] but since [[Lafayette]], a long-term critic of Senator Landrieu.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' November 22, 2013; December 3, 2013.</ref>

 

===Parish presidency===

On October 22, 2011, she was elected parish president with 73 percent of the vote and was sworn into office in January 2012.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 22, 2011.</ref> She was reelected to that position in 2015.<ref name="nola.com"/>​

In 2019, Brister was unseated in her bid for a third term as parish president by her fellow Republican Michael Benton "Mike" Cooper (born November 27, 1953) of Covington. Her second term in office was dogged with budget cuts and the failure three times to extend two different [[sales tax]]es.<ref name=wwltv/> In the primary, held on October 12, she trailed Cooper and was unseated in the runoff contest on November 16. In the second balloting, Cooper polled 53,732 votes (61 percent) to Brister's 33,985 (39 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12 and November 16, 2019.</ref>

In 2019, Brister was unseated in her bid for a third term as parish president by her fellow Republican Michael Benton "Mike" Cooper (born November 27, 1953) of Covington. Her second term in office was dogged with budget cuts and the failure three times to extend two different [[sales tax]]es.<ref name=wwltv/> In the primary, held on October 12, she trailed Cooper and was unseated in the runoff contest on November 16. In the second balloting, Cooper polled 53,732 votes (61 percent) to Brister's 33,985 (39 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12 and November 16, 2019.</ref>