Ed Schafer

Ed Schafer
29th United States Secretary of Agriculture
In office January 28, 2008 – January 20, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Mike Johanns
Succeeded by	Tom Vilsack
30th Governor of North Dakota
In office December 15, 1992 – December 15, 2000
Lieutenant	Rosemarie Myrdal
Preceded by	George Sinner
Succeeded by	John Hoeven
Personal details
Born	Edward Thomas Schafer (1946-08-08) August 8, 1946 Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nancy Jones Schafer
Children	Tom Schafer Ellie Schafer Eric Jones (stepson) Kari Jones (stepdaughter)
Alma mater	University of North Dakota University of Denver
Religion	Episcopalian (currently attends First Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND where his wife is a member.)

Edward Thomas "Ed" Schafer (born August 8, 1946) served as the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009. He also served as the 30th Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000.

Early life, career, and family

Schafer was born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota, and is the son of Marian Nelsen and businessman Harold Schafer. He is of German descent.^[1] His sister, Pam Schafer, was the first wife of former Democratic-NPL U.S. Senator Kent Conrad.^[2]

His educational background includes a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver. Following graduation, he went to work at the Gold Seal Company, a North Dakota-based manufacturing company owned by his father, eventually serving as company president from 1978 to 1985.

He is married to the former Nancy Jones and has two children: Tom Schafer and Ellie Schafer; and two stepchildren: Eric Jones and Kari Jones. He is the first North Dakota Governor to be married while in office. Schafer has also played an active role in the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation an organization which preserves the landmarks and legacy of the time that US 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt spent in and around Medora, North Dakota, between 1883 to 1889.

Ed was the captain of the "High Flyers" on the Discovery Channel TV show Junkyard Wars. Schafer was on during the fifth season of the show and won 2nd Place when the team lost to the "Jet Doctors" in the Season Five finale.

Governor of North Dakota

In 1990, Schafer unsuccessfully challenged then-U.S. Congressman Byron Dorgan's reelection bid capturing 35% of the vote, to Dorgan's 65%. He was elected as North Dakota's 30th Governor in 1992, and subsequently won reelection in 1996. He did not seek reelection in 2000. During his final year in office, he served as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. In 1995 Schafer served as the Chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association.

In 2004, he declined to run for United States Senate against Dem-NPLer Byron Dorgan despite calls from national Republican leaders including then-President George W. Bush.

In 2002, Schafer was appointed as Civilian Aide to the United States Secretary of the Army. He also appeared in 2003 with his team, The High Flyers, as a contestant in the American TV Series Junkyard Wars. Schafer was formerly the CEO of Extend America, a start-up wireless communications company. He was a frequent guest host of the "Hot Talk" program on WDAY-AM in Fargo, North Dakota. Prior to his appointment to the cabinet, Schafer also served as an advisor and sometimes spokesperson for the North Dakota chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a nationwide limited-government/pro-growth organization.

Since Americans for Prosperity pulled out of North Dakota, Schafer has been supporting the North Dakota Taxpayers' Association as an advisor and keynote speaker.

Secretary of Agriculture

In October 2007 Schafer was nominated by then-President George W. Bush to be the next Secretary of Agriculture.^[3] His hearing was originally scheduled for January 30, 2008, but was moved up on the request of North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad so that Schafer could attend the State of the Union address as a cabinet member.^[4] The hearing was held on January 24; it was friendly,^[5] with Senators asking Schafer questions on various topics such as US beef exports to Japan and South Korea, the Department of Agriculture's ability to deliver on programs passed by Congress, policy on sugar, and cotton prices.^[6] On January 28, he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.^[7][8]

Schafer was in office just several days when a major scandal concerning cruelty and unsafe food erupted in the wake of an investigation of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company by the Humane Society of the United States. In late February, in testimony before a subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Schafer took the position that there was no need for a ban on downed cattle in the food supply.^[9]

Electoral history

• 1996 Race for Governor
  • Ed Schafer (R) (inc.), 66%
  • Lee Kaldor (D), 34%
• 1992 Race for Governor
  • Ed Schafer (R), 58%
  • Nick Spaeth (D), 41%
• 1990 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - At Large
  • Byron Dorgan (D) (inc.), 65%
  • Ed Schafer (R), 35%

References

External links

• High Plains Journal Article on Ed Schafer
• USDA biography of Secretary Schafer

Governors and Lieutenant Governors of North Dakota Governors Miller A. Burke Shortridge Allin Briggs Devine Fancher White Sarles J. Burke Hanna Frazier Nestos Sorlie Maddock Shafer Langer O. Olson Moodie Welford Langer Moses Aandahl Brunsdale Davis Guy Link A. Olson Sinner Schafer Hoeven Dalrymple Lieutenant Governors Dickey Allin Wallace Worst Devine Bartlett Lewis Burdick Kraabel Fraine Kraabel Wood Hyland Maddock Carr Olson Welford Thoresen Patterson Oscar Hagen Holt Dahl Schnell Dahl Duffy Dahl Hagen Wenstrom Tighe Larsen Sanstead Sands Meiers Omdahl Myrdal Dalrymple Wrigley

United States Secretaries of Agriculture Coleman Rusk Morton Wilson Houston Meredith HC Wallace Gore Jardine Hyde HA Wallace Wickard Anderson Brannan Benson Freeman Hardin Butz Knebel Bergland Block Lyng Yeutter Madigan Espy Glickman Veneman Johanns Schafer Vilsack

Cabinet of President George W. Bush (2001–2009)   Cabinet Secretary of State Colin Powell (2001–2005) Condoleezza Rice (2005–2009) Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill (2001–2002) John W. Snow (2003–2006) Henry Paulson (2006–2009) Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2001–2006) Robert Gates (2006–2009) Attorney General John Ashcroft (2001–2005) Alberto Gonzales (2005–2007) Michael Mukasey (2007–2009) Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (2001–2006) Dirk Kempthorne (2006–2009) Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman (2001–2005) Mike Johanns (2005–2007) Ed Schafer (2008–2009) Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans (2001–2005) Carlos Gutierrez (2005–2009) Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (2001–2009) Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (2001–2005) Mike Leavitt (2005–2009) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez (2001–2003) Alphonso Jackson (2003–2008) Steve Preston (2008–2009) Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (2001–2006) Mary Peters (2006–2009) Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (2001–2005) Samuel Bodman (2005–2009) Secretary of Education Rod Paige (2001–2005) Margaret Spellings (2005–2009) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi (2001–2005) Jim Nicholson (2005–2007) James Peake (2007–2009) Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (2003–2005) Michael Chertoff (2005–2009)   Cabinet-level Vice President Dick Cheney (2001–2009) White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card (2001–2006) Joshua Bolten (2006–2009) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman (2001–2003) Mike Leavitt (2003–2005) Stephen L. Johnson (2005–2009) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mitch Daniels (2001–2003) Joshua Bolten (2003–2006) Rob Portman (2006–2007) Jim Nussle (2007–2009) Director of National Drug Control Policy John P. Walters (2001–2009) Trade Representative Robert Zoellick (2001–2005) Rob Portman (2005–2006) Susan Schwab (2006–2009)