to anyone I ever met,” including being congressional campaigns. In 2002 seek­ cusing him of waging the most negative able to figure out another person’s motiva­ ing a fourth term in Congress, she faced a campaign she had ever seen in her years tions and what they wanted to accomplish. tough fight from her Republican challeng­ of politics, and storming out of a planned “That’s an incredibly important skill for er Brose McVey, a former aide to Hoosier debate. “If I seem rather upset,” Carson a politician to have,” he noted. It was political heavyweights and told the stunned crowd, “you are looking inspiring, Quigley said, to see her in action . The district had changed since at someone who is extremely hurt by this and how her constituents responded to Carson’s first election, as the 2000 census campaign. I don’t think I have ever in my her. “They all thought they knew her and had eliminated one of ’s ten con­ life seen the political decay, the lowest she left them with the impression that she gressional districts, causing the remaining common denominator that has been ap­ knew them well, and often times she did,” districts to expand to include new terri­ plied by my Republican opponent in this he said. Quigley also recalled that Carson tory and new voters. Renumbered as the particular race. I don’t feel comfortable be­ was able to make those same kinds of con­ Seventh Congressional District, the area ing in the same room with him.” Although nections with her colleagues on Capitol represented by Carson had more than a McVey termed Carson’s action as a “staged Hill, using her people skills and great sense hundred thousand new constituents, many act of righteous indignation not warranted of humor to establish friendships with of whom had been used to having a con­ by reality,” the move roused the congress­ longtime members of Congress as well as servative Republican, , as their woman’s supporters into action. Carson rookie legislators. congressman. Sensing a potential upset, also took advantage of a glitch with a vot­ Carson’s people skills, however, could the Republican National Committee tar­ ing machine on Election Day that failed not always shield her from being treated geted the race, offering money and other to register her vote, raising a fuss that was differently because of her race and gen­ support to McVey. The GOP candidate caught on camera by local broadcasters. der. Quigley had a little taste of what his had also won the backing of an area media “She played that like a drum,” recalled boss faced every day early in his tenure giant, the Star. The newspa­ pollster Vargus. “‘They’re keeping Julia as chief of staff when he had a telephone per’s editorial board endorsed McVey’s from voting!’ It was on all the news sta­ conversation with an official in Washing­ candidacy and a poll taken shortly before tions, first thing in the morning. And this ton, D.C. Although the matter did not the election showed Carson with only a may have galvanized her troops.” Carson involve any contentious issue, the official slim lead of one percentage point. captured the election with approximately treated Quigley with disrespect and even Carson turned the tables on her op­ 53 percent of the vote. contempt. Puzzled, he mentioned the ponent during a debate at a Kiwanis Club Facing another tight race in 2006 from incident to Carson, who laughed and said on Indianapolis’s north side. She refused Indianapolis businessman and former that since Quigley had never had a face-to- to be on the same stage with McVey, ac­ marine Eric Dickerson, Carson, during a face meeting with the official, he prob­ meeting with the Indianapolis Stars edito­ ably thought he was talking to an African rial board, disclosed information about American staff member, and that is why he Dickerson’s arrest in 1991 on charges of had been treated so badly. On other occa­ domestic abuse involving his wife and sions, when Quigley and Carson were in daughter. Dickerson angrily disputed the meetings together with older white males, charge, noting that the case had been these persons addressed their comments to dismissed and his wife and daughter had Quigley, the “other white professional” in the room, ignoring Carson. Quigley said Carson usually responded by reminding Carson consults with Democratic strategist them, “Excuse me, I’m a member of Con­ and onetime fellow aide to Jacobs Bill gress,” and laughing about it later with Schreiber at a political event in Indianapolis. him back at the office. Fran Quigley, Carson’s first chief of staff during her first term in Congress, noted an Although at first hesitant to enter the essential component of her charm was that political fray, Carson became a master at she had “lived through the same hardships seizing the spotlight from her opponents so many Hoosiers— white, black, poor and during sometimes bitter and contentious rich— had experienced. She was one of us.

TRACES Fall 2011 9