Louise Gardner

Louise Gardner's first official portrait as Energy Secretary

Louise Elizabeth Gardner (née Harper) is an American politician and the incumbent Energy Secretary under the Rockefeller administration. She is currently and Independent, with social conservative/fiscal liberal values. She has endorsed former Mayor Angelica Finn for the Democratic nomination, while also endorsing incumbent President Rockefeller for the Republican nomination for the 2048 presidential election. Gardner joined AGS during the final days of the Warren administration.

## Early Life

Louise Elizabeth Harper was born on March 17th, 1998 in Bishop Hills, Texas to Harold Harper and Elizabeth Harper (née von Oscar). She was born during the presidency of Bill Clinton, in which his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton was Louise's personal hero and in which she aspired to be like when grown up. Louise was brought up in a very socially conservative, lower middle class household but her parents were both registered Democrats, as they were both Reagan Democrats and voted for Ronald Reagan in both 1980 and 1984.

Growing up, Louise would go on many hunting trips with her parents and is (just like her parents) a very good with a gun, and also supported the NRA. Her education was also very well, with her leading in her class and was able to get a high 3.2 GPA. With her high GPA she was able to join the University of Texas and earn a major in political science. After graduating, she met and married her longtime neighbor James Gardner, at age 25. By the time she was 27 she gave birth to her first son James Harold Gardner, and by age 31 she gave birth to another son named Luke Oscar Gardner.

## Political Career

### Early life in politics

During the 2012 presidential election, Louise volunteered and campaigned for the Barack Obama campaign in Texas and Oklahoma. She traveled around Northern Texas and south west Oklahoma avidly for the Obama campaign. Even though Obama didn't win either state she was pleased that he was still able to win the election in a landslide victory against Governor Mitt Romney.

Since she was old enough, Louise campaigned throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado for the Hillary Clinton campaign for president in the 2016 presidential election. Although she wasn't able to register in time to vote in the Texas Democratic primary, she was able to become a Texas delegate for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia due to that she'd be able to vote in the actual presidential election. During the general election, she traveled the country with the campaign and was also in high hopes and believed in the polls that her hero was going to win. On election night, after Donald Trump won the presidency, Louise faced depression since she wanted Hillary to run for president since she was a little girl. During the early months after the election, Louise was an avid recount and electoral collage change supporter. After both movements failed, she attended the Women's March in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2017. Even though her hero had lost, one quote stuck with her and inspired her to run, "*To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.*" This quote inspired Louise to run for office, and continuously sticks with her every day.

### Mayor of Bishop Hills

Soon after the birth of her second son, Louise decided to run for mayor of Bishop Hills against a 20 year incumbent. She was able to win the election against the longtime incumbent by 52% to 48%. As Mayor of her hometown she insured that the education system was fair for all students, as racism was still a problem when she was elected. She was also able to introduce recycling bins in her town for the first time, while campaigning she explained the pros for recycling and how it was better for the environment and more cost effective. In her first term as mayor she was able to raise the education rate, and lower the pollution in the town.

She was able to win a second term as mayor. In her second term, she was able to create more jobs by bringing in more clean energy effective companies that was able to transform her town into a clean energy zone with little pollution. In her late second term in 2043, she went on the local radio the positive side of clean energy and energy freedom, while explaining how it was more free from the big government, and cleaner. After her radio speech she gained local fame, and decided to create a new organization based on campaigning for clean energy in the southern US. Soon after the creation of the organization, she resigned as Mayor Bishop Hills, giving the job to her Lieutenant Mayor Angus Burton.

### GEPI Chairwoman

After her radio show, she began contacting state legislators and governors to help bring in clean energy into their states. When it failed, she decided to take action and formed the "Green Energy Power Initiative" (aka GEPI) where she and other members would campaign in states to teach the citizens the benefits of clean energy and inspire them to protest their local government for not taking action, or run for office themselves and throw out the supporters of fossil fuels and transition into a clean energy country.

She began her campaign in Oklahoma, mostly going from smallest towns to the biggest cities in the states to inspire every citizen in the state. She had multiple spats with Oklahoma Governor Calvin Duval when he refused to take action and transition his state into a clean energy efficient state. Soon after her final stop in Oklahoma City, she and the organization endorsed Nelson Rockefeller for president of the United States. Soon after his win, she was nominated for the Secretary of Energy. She closed the organization and it is unsure at this time weather or not she will recreate the organization after her term as Energy Secretary ends.

### 2044 presidential election

Louise was not that involved in the 2044 presidential election, as her main focus was the GEPI organization. Although soon after Nelson Rockefeller joined GEPI, she formally endorsed him for president of the United States over Vice-President Bernard. Towards election day, Rockefeller, former President Boyles, and herself made a campaign stop in Pittsburgh for his campaign. Soon after he won in a historic landslide victory she was at the watch party at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Soon after she was nominated as Secretary of Energy, in which she immediately accepted.

### 2048 presidential election

*Main Article: Democratic Party Presidential Primaries, 2046-48#Louise Gardner*

As an early member of party politics, she formed an exploratory committee to run for president of the United States. She soon announced officially for the nomination of the Democratic Party on a conservative platform. Although, when she announced her bid for the nomination many people had already pledged their support for other candidates. Her campaign had a very hard time getting of the ground, and soon after she withdrew her campaign. Many have suggested she run for congress then run for president in the future. Soon after her withdraw, she endorsed Mayor Finn for the nomination for the party.

### Democratic Party Leadership/Involvement

After the resignation of Eugene Debs as the Junior Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party, party Chairman former President Warren appointed Gardner as the new Junior Vice-Chair of the party. Soon after, she and the senior Vice-Chair of the party, John McCauly worked together in putting up primaries for congressional elections. When she announced her bid for the nomination of the Democratic Party, she resigned her post in order to focus on the campaign. After she withdrew, she was offered the job again but declined in order to focus on her job as Energy Secretary.

After she endorsed Mayor Finn for the nomination, she noticed the avid bullying many new candidates faced. This caused her to be very upset with the party and how they handled it, and she soon announced she would be leaving the Democratic Party. It is unclear if Gardner will return to the party, join the GOP, or stay independent.

## Career as Energy Secretary

When nominated for the job by President Rockefeller, her main focus for the job was using nuclear energy as the future of clean energy in the country. She passed confirmation by the Senate with flying colors. Currently she is still very new to the job, and hasn't had the opportunity to pass, sponsor, or write many bills at this time.

Currently, she and Representative Thaddeus worked on a bill that would ensure the Green Tax, and was able to pass the House of Representatives but failed to pass in the senate. Even though it failed the Senate it had the support of Vice-President McCain and President Rockefeller. She and Rockefeller plan on starting the "Green Deal" very soon.