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'''Robert Leon Maness''', known as '''Rob Maness''' (born November 14, 1961), is a retired [[colonel]] in the [[United States Air Force]] and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] and [[Tea Party]] figure in his adopted U.S. state of [[Louisiana]].<ref name=ballot>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Rob_Maness|title=Rob Maness|publisher=ballotpedia.org|accessdate=November 20, 2015}}</ref>  

'''Robert Leon Maness''', known as '''Rob Maness''' (born November 14, 1961), is a retired [[colonel]] in the [[United States Air Force]] and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] and [[Tea Party]] figure in his adopted U.S. state of [[Louisiana]].<ref name=ballot>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Rob_Maness|title=Rob Maness|publisher=ballotpedia.org|accessdate=November 20, 2015}}</ref>  

On November 18, 2017, Maness was an unsuccessful candidate in the special election runoff to fill the unexpired term of District 77 state Representative [[John Schroder]]. In the first round of voting on October 14, Maness led a four-candidate field with 3,126 votes (37 percent). In the second round of balloting, however, he was defeated by Covington City Council member and fellow Republican Mark Wright, who polled 2,125 votes (25 percent) in the primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 14, 2017|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/politics/e|title=Four candidates vying for Louisiana House seat left open by John Schroder's departure|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=September 24, 2017|author=Sara Pagones|accessdate=September 28, 2017}}</ref> Schroder instead ran successfully for state treasurer in the same special election runoff against the [[African-American]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Derrick Edwards, a lawyer confined to a wheelchair after sustaining a [[football]] injury. The treasurer's position opened when [[John Neely Kennedy]] resigned to become the state's junior [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]. A move to draft Maness for the treasurer's race developed, but he instead ran for the legislature. Had he sought the treasurer's position, Maness would have faced among others fellow Republicans John Schroder and state Senator Neil Riser of Columbia in Caldwell Parish,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/ColRobManessLATreasurer/|title=Draft Col. Rob Maness for Louisiana State Treasurer|publisher=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=May 27, 2017}}</ref> who polled 18 percent of the ballots cast in the treasurer's race.

On November 18, 2017, Maness was an unsuccessful candidate in the special election runoff to fill the unexpired term of District 77 state Representative [[John Schroder]]. In the first round of voting on October 14, Maness led a four-candidate field with 3,126 votes (37 percent). In the second round of balloting, however, he was defeated by Covington City Council member and fellow Republican [[Mark Wright]], who polled 2,125 votes (25 percent) in the primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 14, 2017|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/politics/e|title=Four candidates vying for Louisiana House seat left open by John Schroder's departure|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=September 24, 2017|author=Sara Pagones|accessdate=September 28, 2017}}</ref> Schroder instead ran successfully for state treasurer in the same special election runoff against the [[African-American]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Derrick Edwards, a lawyer confined to a wheelchair after sustaining a [[football]] injury. The treasurer's position opened when [[John Neely Kennedy]] resigned to become the state's junior [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]. A move to draft Maness for the treasurer's race developed, but he instead ran for the legislature. Had he sought the treasurer's position, Maness would have faced among others fellow Republicans John Schroder and state Senator Neil Riser of Columbia in Caldwell Parish,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/ColRobManessLATreasurer/|title=Draft Col. Rob Maness for Louisiana State Treasurer|publisher=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=May 27, 2017}}</ref> who polled 18 percent of the ballots cast in the treasurer's race.

==Biography==

==Biography==

Born to a military family in Fort Lewis, [[Washington State|Washington]], Maness holds three master's degrees. He was an unsuccessful Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 2014, when he lost out to fellow Republican [[Bill Cassidy]] of [[Baton Rouge]], who unseated then sitting [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Mary Landrieu]] of [[New Orleans]]. Maness endorsed Cassidy in the runoff contest against Landrieu. Maness was endorsed in the primary election by the Senate Conservatives Fund and such luminaries as former [[Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]], the 2008 Republican candidate for [[Vice President of the United States]]. Maness polled 202,556 votes (13.8 percent).  

Born to a military family in Fort Lewis, [[Washington State|Washington]], Maness holds three master's degrees. He was an unsuccessful Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 2014, when he lost out to fellow Republican [[Bill Cassidy]] of [[Baton Rouge]], who unseated then sitting [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Mary Landrieu]] of [[New Orleans]]. Maness endorsed Cassidy in the runoff contest against Landrieu. Maness was endorsed in the primary election by the Senate Conservatives Fund and such luminaries as former [[Alaska]] [[Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]], the 2008 Republican candidate for [[Vice President of the United States]]. Maness polled 202,556 votes (13.8 percent).  

The U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] supported Cassidy in the 2014 campaign, but Maness endorsed Vitter to succeed fellow Republian [[Bobby Jindal]] as governor. Meanwhile, Jindal was an unsuccessful contender for his party's 2016 presidential nomination. Maness's [[political action committee]] called Gator PAC has been active in several state campaigns, including the unsuccessful effort in 2015 to elect Vitter as governor. Upon his defeat for governor, Vitter announced that he would not seek a third term in the Senate in 2016.

The U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] supported Bill Cassidy in the 2014 campaign, but Maness endorsed Vitter to succeed fellow Republian [[Bobby Jindal]] as governor. Meanwhile, Jindal was an unsuccessful contender for his party's 2016 presidential nomination. Maness's [[political action committee]] called Gator PAC has been active in several state campaigns, including the unsuccessful effort in 2015 to elect Vitter as governor. Upon his defeat for governor, Vitter announced that he would not seek a third term in the Senate in 2016.

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.