Changes

Schroder said that he was leaving the House to devote full-time to campaign for the position of state treasurer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/northshore/index.ssf/2017/06/john_schroder_to_vacate_house.html|title=John Schroder to vacate House seat to run for treasurer|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=July 14, 2017|accessdate=July 15, 2017}}</ref>  Schroder said that the state has long had "fundamental issues with our budget and spending practices. I have always taken a stand for the Louisiana taxpayer and that will not change when elected treasurer.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksla.com/story/34217129/rep-john-schroder-announces-candidacy-for-la-treasurer|title=Rep. John Schroder announces candidacy for La. treasurer|author=Marcus Brown|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=January 9, 2017|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref> The treasurer's office though has no direct voice in budgetary matters, which Schroder had exercised when he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/11/louisiana_treasurer_john_schro.html|title=John Schroder is Louisiana's new treasurer|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=November 18, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>  

Schroder said that he was leaving the House to devote full-time to campaign for the position of state treasurer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/northshore/index.ssf/2017/06/john_schroder_to_vacate_house.html|title=John Schroder to vacate House seat to run for treasurer|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=July 14, 2017|accessdate=July 15, 2017}}</ref>  Schroder said that the state has long had "fundamental issues with our budget and spending practices. I have always taken a stand for the Louisiana taxpayer and that will not change when elected treasurer.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksla.com/story/34217129/rep-john-schroder-announces-candidacy-for-la-treasurer|title=Rep. John Schroder announces candidacy for La. treasurer|author=Marcus Brown|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=January 9, 2017|accessdate=January 10, 2017}}</ref> The treasurer's office though has no direct voice in budgetary matters, which Schroder had exercised when he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/11/louisiana_treasurer_john_schro.html|title=John Schroder is Louisiana's new treasurer|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=November 18, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>  

With 125, 503 votes (31 percent), Derrick Edwards led the six-candidate field in the low-turnout special election held on October 14, 2017. Schroder trailed with 96,440 votes (24 percent). In third place was Republican Angele Davis of Baton Rouge, the former state budget chief  who polled 86,880 (22 percent). The fourth-ranked candidate, Republican state Senator Neil Riser of rural Columbia in Caldwell Parish in North Louisiana polled 72,792 votes (18 percent). Finishing fifth was Republican Terry Hughes of Lafayette, who drew the support of 11,117 voters (3 percent). In sixth place was the [[Libertarian Party|Libertarina]] Joseph D. Little, with 8,786 votes (2 percent).<ref name=ereturns>cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 14, 2017|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

With 125, 503 votes (31 percent), Derrick Edwards led the six-candidate field in the low-turnout special election held on October 14, 2017. Schroder trailed with 96,440 votes (24 percent). In third place was Republican Angele Davis of Baton Rouge, the former state budget chief  who polled 86,880 (22 percent). The fourth-ranked candidate, Republican state Senator Neil Riser of rural Columbia in Caldwell Parish in North Louisiana polled 72,792 votes (18 percent). Finishing fifth was Republican Terry Hughes of Lafayette, who drew the support of 11,117 voters (3 percent). In sixth place was the [[Libertarian Party|Libertarina]] Joseph D. Little, with 8,786 votes (2 percent).<ref name=ereturns>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 14, 2017|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

Schroder defeated Edwards in the November 18 runoff to claim the treasurer's position for the unexpired term through January 2020. Edwards had benefited from the mayoral runoff election in New Orleans, his city of residence in which two Democratic women competed to succeed the term-limited Mayor [[Mitch Landrieu]]. That contest brought a third of the voters to the polls. In the first round of balloting, Edwards received 62 percent of the vote in Orleans Parish; this represented 37 percent of his statewide total. In the October 14 balloting, turnout was 13.5 percent statewide for the treasurer's race but 29.8 percent in Orleans Parish. Schroder, however, benefited from the total Republican vote, which reached 67 percent in the first round of balloting. Schroder received 52 percent of the ballots in his own St. Tammany Parish and 43 percent in his former domicile of Jefferson Parish; his showings were weak in other heavily populated parishes, including East Baton Rouge, Caddo, Rapides, and Ouachita.<ref name=ereturns/> ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'' predicted correctly that Schroder would defeat Edwards, who raised little in campaign cash and has made few inroads beyond his solid support in the black community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/10/louisiana_treasurer_winner.html|title=Louisiana treasurer to be decided in runoff, with John Schroder likely to win|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=October 15, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

Schroder defeated Edwards in the November 18 runoff to claim the treasurer's position for the unexpired term through January 2020. Edwards had benefited from the mayoral runoff election in New Orleans, his city of residence in which two Democratic women competed to succeed the term-limited Mayor [[Mitch Landrieu]]. That contest brought a third of the voters to the polls. In the first round of balloting, Edwards received 62 percent of the vote in Orleans Parish; this represented 37 percent of his statewide total. In the October 14 balloting, turnout was 13.5 percent statewide for the treasurer's race but 29.8 percent in Orleans Parish. Schroder, however, benefited from the total Republican vote, which reached 67 percent in the first round of balloting. Schroder received 52 percent of the ballots in his own St. Tammany Parish and 43 percent in his former domicile of Jefferson Parish; his showings were weak in other heavily populated parishes, including East Baton Rouge, Caddo, Rapides, and Ouachita.<ref name=ereturns/> ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'' predicted correctly that Schroder would defeat Edwards, who raised little in campaign cash and has made few inroads beyond his solid support in the black community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/10/louisiana_treasurer_winner.html|title=Louisiana treasurer to be decided in runoff, with John Schroder likely to win|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=October 15, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=October 16, 2017}}</ref>