Buddy Caldwell
| Buddy Caldwell | |
|---|---|
| Attorney General of Louisiana | |
|
In office January 14, 2008 – January 11, 2016 |
|
| Governor | Bobby Jindal |
| Preceded by | Charles Foti |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Landry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James David Caldwell May 20, 1946 Columbia, Louisiana, U.S |
| Political party |
Democratic (Before 2011) Republican (2011–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Pat Caldwell (Third wife) |
| Children | 7 (including stepchildren) |
| Alma mater | Tulane University |
| Religion | Judaism |
James David Caldwell, Sr., known as Buddy Caldwell (born May 20, 1946), is an American politician and lawyer affiliated with the Republican Party who is the former attorney general of the U.S. state of Louisiana having served from 2008 to 2016.
Prior to serving as attorney general, Caldwell was the district attorney for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes from 1979 to 2008. Caldwell, who resides in Tallulah, the seat of Madison Parish, is also an entertainer, guitarist, and songwriter known for his impersonation of Elvis Presley. Early in 2011, Louisiana political commentator Jeff Crouere speculated that Caldwell, then a member of the Democratic Party was "considering a switch to the GOP to prevent a challenge this fall" as Democrats faced increased difficulty statewide. Caldwell ended up officially switching parties on February 2. 2011. Caldwell was unopposed for a second term as attorney general in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. With his switch of parties, Attorney-General Caldwell became the first Republican to hold the office of Louisiana Attorney General since the end of Reconstruction.
Caldwell was the fourth of seven children born to J. D. Caldwell (1910–1987), and the former Genevieve Minsky (1916–2001) in tiny Columbia, Louisiana, the seat of Caldwell Parish, and the home of former Governor John McKeithen and McKeithen's son, the late Louisiana Secretary of State W. Fox McKeithen, a Caldwell family friend. The Caldwells moved permanently to rural Madison Parish in 1949. J.D. Caldwell obtained a master's degree in music from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and sang earlier with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. After moving to Tallulah, the senior Caldwell became a farmer and clothing merchant. Mrs. Caldwell, a registered nurse, held a degree from Touro Infirmary of New Orleans. She was a public health nurse and later a Madison Parish school health nurse for thirty years.
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