Angela "Bay" Buchanan

Angela Marie “Bay” Buchanan was a prominent conservative political commentator and campaign manager. She held the office of Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan.

Buchanan was born on December 23, 1948, in Washington D.C. She has one sister and seven brothers. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Rosemont College, and in 1973, her master’s degree in mathematics from McGill University. Three years later she was selected as national treasurer for Ronald Reagan’s primary campaign, a position she filled for his 1980 reelection campaign. She also managed the Reagan-Bush general election campaigns of 1980 and 1984.

Reagan appointed her as Treasurer when she was 32, making her the youngest-ever U.S. Treasurer. She held the post from March 20, 1981 to July 5, 1983. She was then appointed chairwoman of the President’s Commission on Women Business Owners. She was co-chair of the Californian delegation to the 1988 Republican National Convention.

She appeared regularly on CNN’s “Inside Politics” and was a commentator on “The Situation Room” and “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull.” From 1997 to 1999 she was a co-presenter on the CNBC and MSNBC show “Equal Time.” She also hosted a two-hour radio talk show.

In 1990, she ran for state treasurer in the California Republican primary election but lost to the incumbent.

She managed her brother Pat Buchanan’s three bids for U.S. president (1992, 1996, and 2000).

Buchanan continued her influence in the political arena when she was appointed chair of Team America PAC in May 2006, which was founded by Tom Tancredo. A year later she served as chairman of his presidential campaign.

She was also one of Mitt Romney’s senior advisors for his presidential candidacy. After his loss in the November 2012 election, she decided to leave presidential politics. She is now a realtor in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D. C.

Buchanan joined the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1976. She is the mother of three sons. She and her first husband divorced in 1987. She married Walter Gawlak in 2010.

She is the author of two books, The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton (2007) and Bay and Her Boys: Unexpected Lessons I Learned as a (Single) Mom (2012). She was awarded an honorary law degree from Samford University.