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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. He did not seek reelection in 2023.

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]].

In a 2022 radio interview with ''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' Buckels said that he still favors a return to closed party primaries, rather than keeping the nonpartisan blanket primary, which began in 1975 and later worked to the benefit of Moderate Republicans. Buckels said that he believes closed primaries can be implemented only if a governor favors them. Closed primaries, he said, allow members of a political party to hold their nominees accountable to campaign promises.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' April 6, 2022.</ref>

In a 2022 radio interview with ''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' Buckels said that he still favors a return to closed party primaries, rather than keeping the nonpartisan blanket primary, which began in 1975 and later worked to the benefit of Moderate Republicans. Buckels said that he believes closed primaries can be implemented only if a governor favors them. Closed primaries, he said, allow members of a political party to hold their nominees accountable to campaign promises.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' April 6, 2022.</ref>

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