Comptroller of Maryland
In 1998, after the sudden death of longtime (forty years in office) Comptroller and Maryland political legend Louis L. Goldstein, Schaefer ran for the position of Comptroller of Maryland against Republican Mark Epstein. Schaefer won by a substantial margin, 62% to 38%. He came into the office on January 25, 1999. In 2002, Schaefer remained extremely popular in Maryland and received almost 68% of the vote in the general election.
Schaefer feuded frequently with Governor Parris Glendening at the bi-monthly Board of Public Works (BPW) meetings. Schaefer once called Glendening a "despot" and often chided him. Schaefer frequently referred to Glendening as "Ayatollah." Schaefer enjoyed considerably warmer relations with Governor Robert Ehrlich, the Republican who succeeded Glendening on January 15, 2003.
Read more about this topic: William Donald Schaefer