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'''Charles Lee Buckels''', known as '''Charlie Buckels''' (born December 28, 1945),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/charlie-buckels/charliebuckels?valid=true&'|title=Charles Buckels|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> is an [[insurance]] [[business]]man from [[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]], who is a long-term [[Republican Party|Republican]] state and local political figure.

'''Charles Lee Buckels''', known as '''Charlie Buckels''' (born December 28, 1945),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/charlie-buckels/charliebuckels?valid=true&'|title=Charles Buckels|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> is an [[insurance]] [[business]]man from [[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]], who is a long-term [[Republican Party|Republican]] state and local political figure.

The finance chairman of the state Republican Party, Buckels in 2018 headed a committee to make endorsements of GOP candidates for state office. A dispute developed on consideration of endorsement of candidates for secretary of state to replace [[Tom Schedler]], who resigned over a sexual harassment complaint. At first the party considered endorsing three of the five Republican candidates in the race. This left out [[Moderate Republican]] state Representative [[Julie Stokes]] of [[suburb]]an Jefferson Parish, and interim Secretary of State [[Kyle Ardoin]], who formerly contributed to the reelection campaign of [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] former [[U.S. Senator]] [[Mary Landrieu]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/news/education/article_78fb6969-3b49-56d5-a335-e96aba2236d8.html|title=Louisiana GOP fights over who is conservative enough to endorse|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=August 31, 2018; updated July 11, 2019|author=Mary O''Donoghue|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> who was unseated in 2014 by [[Moderate Republican]] [[Bill Cassidy]]. Ultimately the party made no primary endorsement but then supported Ardoin in the runoff contest. Ardoin then won a full term in the regular 2019 elections.

The finance chairman of the state Republican Party, Buckels in 2018 headed a committee to make endorsements of GOP candidates for state office. A dispute developed on consideration of endorsement of candidates for secretary of state to replace [[Tom Schedler]], who resigned over a sexual harassment complaint. At first the party considered endorsing three of the five Republican candidates in the race. This left out [[Moderate Republican]] state Representative [[Julie Stokes]] of [[suburb]]an Jefferson Parish, and interim Secretary of State [[Kyle Ardoin]], who formerly contributed to the reelection campaign of [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] former [[U.S. Senator]] [[Mary Landrieu]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/news/education/article_78fb6969-3b49-56d5-a335-e96aba2236d8.html|title=Louisiana GOP fights over who is conservative enough to endorse|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=August 31, 2018; updated July 11, 2019|author=Mary O''Donoghue|accessdate=September 6, 2020}}</ref> who was unseated in 2014 by Moderate Republican [[Bill Cassidy]]. Ultimately the party made no primary endorsement but then supported Ardoin in the runoff contest. Ardoin then won a full term in the regular 2019 elections.

In 1996, Buckels was an unsuccessful candidate for the since defunct Louisiana 7th congressional district. He finished with 5 percent of the vote; victory wen to the Democrat Christopher "Chris" John. Buckels' congressional vote inadvertenly blocked fellow Republican [[David Thibodaux]] of Lafayette from gaining one of the two runoff slots.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, September 21, 1996.</ref> Chris John who left the House in 2005 after having run unsuccessfully in a bid to defeat Republican [[David Vitter]] for the other Louisiana Senate seat. Vitter went on to serve two terms but was defeated in 2015 in a gubernatorial bid by current Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]]. In 2007, Buckels narrowly lost a regional race for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. He polled 76,721 votes (49 percent) to 79,697 (51 percent) for Democrat Dale Bayard,<ref>Louisiana Secretary of Sate, Election Returns, October 20, 2007.</ref> who was later defeated by Republican [[Holly Boffy]].

In 1996, Buckels was an unsuccessful candidate for the since defunct Louisiana 7th congressional district. He finished with 5 percent of the vote; victory wen to the Democrat Christopher "Chris" John. Buckels' congressional vote inadvertenly blocked fellow Republican [[David Thibodaux]] of Lafayette from gaining one of the two runoff slots.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, September 21, 1996.</ref> Chris John who left the House in 2005 after having run unsuccessfully in a bid to defeat Republican [[David Vitter]] for the other Louisiana Senate seat. Vitter went on to serve two terms but was defeated in 2015 in a gubernatorial bid by current Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]]. In 2007, Buckels narrowly lost a regional race for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. He polled 76,721 votes (49 percent) to 79,697 (51 percent) for Democrat Dale Bayard,<ref>Louisiana Secretary of Sate, Election Returns, October 20, 2007.</ref> who was later defeated by Republican [[Holly Boffy]].