Name Christopher Callaghan | ||
Chris Callaghan - 101 Artistic Toastmasters
J. Christopher Callaghan is the former Treasurer of Saratoga County, New York, and an unsuccessful candidate for New York State Comptroller in the 2006 statewide elections of the Republican and Conservative Parties.
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Political career
Callaghan has worked in government finance for over 30 years. This began as Budget Officer for the Town of Waterford from 1980-86. He worked for the Saratoga County Administrator's Office as a management analyst from 1983-97. At the end of his tenure in 1997, Gov. George Pataki appointed Callaghan to fill the vacancy of the Saratoga County Treasurer.
He was later elected to the treasurer's office in his own right in 1998 and reelected in 2002. He is the President of the New York State Association of County Treasurers and Finance Officers, and a member of the National Association of County Treasurers and Finance Officers. He retired as Treasurer in 2006 to pursue his bid for State Comptroller full-time. He was replaced by his Deputy Treasurer Sam Pitcheralle.
2006 Comptroller Race
In early 2006, Treasurer Callaghan announced his campaign for state comptroller and picked up an early endorsement from Niagara County Treasurer David Broderick. There were reports that state party leaders were trying to recruit Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef to run for comptroller against Treasurer Callaghan. Vanderhoef announced that he was not running for comptroller and instead announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor.
Callaghan spent much of the summer months of the campaign traveling to the many county fairs throughout New York. He chronicled his visits in a web-campaign ad which he described as "Chris and Alan Hevesi together on the Campaign Trail."
On September 21, 2006, Alan Hevesi admitted that he hired an employee of the state to drive around his wife after Callaghan made a public statement on the matter and called the "Comptroller's hotline." On September 26, 2006, Callaghan asked the Albany County D.A.'s office to investigate.
Callaghan was endorsed by the Poughkeepsie Journal, the New York Sun, the New York Post, the Times Herald-Record, the New York Times, and the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
Callaghan was defeated on November 7, 2006 by incumbent Alan Hevesi; conceding defeat, Callaghan remarked, "I cannot help but regard the decision of New York voters as odd."
2006 NYS Republican and Conservative Party Ticket