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Buddy Calhoun
BuddyElection2020
12th United States Secretary of Education
In office
January 20, 2021 - January 20, 2025
President Selina Meyer
30th Governor of Nevada
In office

January 4, 2018 - January 17, 2021

Preceeded by Hoyt Steptoe
17th Secretary of State of Nevada
In office

January 12, 2013 - January 8, 2017

Governor Hoyt Steptoe
Personal details
Spouse Leslie Calhoun

Arnold "Buddy" Calhoun is an American politician who served as the twelfth United States secretary of education under President Selina Meyer from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as the 30th Governor of Nevada from 2018 to 2021 and as Secretary of State of Nevada from 2013 to 2017. He was a candidate in the 2020 presidential primaries.

Early Life[]

Calhoun was born in 1978 in Nevada. He spent a decade of his life in the environment of the auto parts industry where he expanded his family business, Carson City Car Rodeo, to a second location, in Carson City. He once served in the Nevada Air National Guard.

Nevada Secretary of State (2013 - 2017)[]

Calhoun announced his candidacy for Nevada Secretary of State in late 2011. He won the primary, and general election, held in November 2012, and assumed office in January 2013. He served under Governor Hoyt Steptoe, whom he would later run against. During the 2016 Nevada electoral recount, he met with staffers of the presidential candidates Bill O' Brien and Selina Meyer to discuss the rules of the recount. He decided not to run for re-election in 2016, in order to focus on his run for governor.

2018 gubernatorial election[]

See also: 2018 Nevada Gubernatorial Election

Calhoun announced his candidacy for governor in late 2016. In early 2017, he was arrested for DUI, and dashcam footage of the arrest shows him sexually harassing the female cop arresting him, and he eventually exposed himself to the police officer.

In the aftermath of the scandal, he appeared with his fiancee Amy Brookheimer in a joint interview on CBS This Morning to apologise for his actions. During the interview, Amy said that she most enjoys spending quiet time with Buddy away from politics. After hearing this, Calhoun decided to drop out of the Nevada Governor's race to spend more time with her and further their relationship. However, Amy reveals she wasn't being serious when she made the comment in the interview, and only did so because it would distract from the controversy and help him regain popularity in the polls. She then leaves him and returns to go back to work for former President Selina Meyer.

Calhoun rejoined the election and won both the primary and general election, becoming Governor of Nevada.

Governor of Nevada (2018 - 2021)[]

During his governorship, Calhoun presided over five consecutive quarters of statewide economic growth and the redevelopment of the NASCAR racetrack in Henderson. In May 2018, Calhoun passed and signed into law a bill that proposed the adoption of National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in the presidential elections.

In June 2019, Calhoun announced the launch of the Lake Mead Economic Initiative, a $35 billion master plan to stimulate wholesome, non-gaming tourism in the vicinity of Las Vegas. Calhoun has supported expansion of solar energy projects in Nevada. He resigned as governor on January 16, 2021, to assume office as United States Secretary of Education in the second Meyer administration.

2020 presidential campaign[]

See also: Buddy Calhoun presidential campaign, 2020

In February 2020, Calhoun announced he would run for President of the United States for the 2020 primaries, positioning himself as a born-again Christian and endorsing traditional values. Despite rarely polling above 10%, he refused to drop out of the race. He participated in the first 2020 primary debate. He remained in the race until the 2020 party convention. When he saw no path to winning the nomination, he dropped out and endorsed Selina Meyer.

United States Secretary of Education (2021 - 2025)[]

Meyer announced her intention to nominate Calhoun to serve as Education Secretary in December 2020. He won Senate approval and took office on January 27, 2021, serving until the end of her tenure in January 2025.

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