[2] On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced she would run in the 2011 West Virginia gubernatorial special election, where she came in second place in the Republican primary.

[3] Early in her career, Ireland spent several years teaching in the West Virginia public school system.

Eventually, she entered the business sector, when Ireland took a job as an administrative assistant with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance.

[5] For nearly six years (from 1977 to 1983), she was the owner of Retirement Systems & Services, a pension administration and consulting firm in Charleston, West Virginia.

[citation needed] On December 30, 2010, Ireland announced her intention to run for governor in the special election that was to be held on October 4, 2011.