Election 2012: Irey Vaughan Seeks State Treasurer Post

Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan is seeking the Republican nomination for state treasurer.

She is running unopposed on the Republican ticket in Tuesday's primary. She will face Robert McCord, the Democratic incumbent from Montgomery County, in November's general election.

Here's what you need to know about Irey Vaughan before you head to the polls Tuesday:

Age: 49

Hometown: Nottingham Township

Educational Experience: 1981, West Virginia Business College; business, accounting and legal studies coursework at Fairmont State College and California University of Pennsylvania.

Professional Experience: Fifth-term Washington County commissioner managing 52 departments and nearly 1,000 employees and overseeing the county-owned nursing home, airport, parks and bridges; member of Washington County Pension Board, managing pension funds of employees and retirees;
member of Washington County Prison Board, overseeing operations of acorrectional facility that maintains the lowest cost per day per inmate in the state.

Why did you decide to run for this new position? I’m running for state treasurer to bring a more conservative investment approach to managing the commonwealth’s assets. This race is bigger than the office of state treasurer. Our country is headed down the wrong path, and this is the Keystone State. Pennsylvania needs to lead our country by example toward fiscal responsibility. I’ll bring discipline and thoughtfulness to this office.

What will be your priorities if elected? As commissioner, I fought for fiscal responsibility and good government, balancing seven consecutive budgets with no tax increase, keeping taxes low, and putting inmates to work in our community. I provided stewardship for pension funds and formed a strict
investment policy statement, with a conservative approach, that met or exceeded industry benchmarks over the past 16 years. I will bring the same discipline and fiscal restraint to serve Pennsylvania.

Is there anything else you'd like the voters to know? I am the wife of a soldier currently serving his fifth mobilization and now stationed in Afghanistan and the mother of three children, ages 22, 21, and 18. I have been a single mother with a modest income, so I’ve had to be careful with my finances. I
understand how hard it can be to live within your budget and to plan for your financial future, all while trying to help your children through college. I understand the need for financial security and will bring the same discipline and fiscal restraint to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania as I have in Washington
County, where we’ve enjoyed population and job growth all while keeping our taxes among the lowest in our region.