Ever since she ran in 1995, Clerk-Treasurer Diana Cordray has never faced a challenger in the election. But in 2015, she will.
Christine Pauley, a senior contract negotiator at Raytheon, is running against Cordray in the primary. Pauley, 54, filed her paperwork on her birthday, Jan. 22. She said it was a “special day” and she feels honored that her friends asked her to run.
“At this point in my life, I work with government contracts and I have the experience,” she said. “I have the business and the legal background and people have asked me to run, so I’ve accepted the call and I think I can bring a positive influence on the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office.”
Pauley said she has the necessary background. She said she’s a paralegal who understands finances, government contracts and proper organization. But she said she’s uniquely qualified because she has the right temperament to work in a cooperative and professional manner.
It’s been said that supporters of Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard wanted to find a strong candidate to oust Cordray because the mayor and the clerk-treasurer was disagreed on some issues, occasionally venting their frustrations through the media. Pauley wouldn’t comment on her opinion on Brainard.
“The clerk-treasurer is required to work with the office of the mayor, no matter who is in that office,” she said. “The mayor’s office deserves our respect and we need to work together.”
Brainard has also suggested that Carmel could become a second-class city, which would mean the elected clerk-treasurer position would be replaced by an appointed controller. Pauley said she doesn’t have an opinion one way or another but she would assist if that transition were to occur. She said one of her big issues is improving transparency by increasing the notice time for meeting agendas.
Pauley has lived in Carmel for the past four years. She is single and has three grown children in their twenties: Daniel, Susan and Samantha. Pauley’s campaign manager is Chyrise King.
Pauley graduated from Michigan State University in 1983. She said she worked her way through college working several jobs. She’s the first in her family to graduate from college and her parents immigrated from Poland and Lithuania following World War II.