After graduating from East High School in 1970, Bradley attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and earned a degree in psychology.

[1][2] In 1986, Bradley moved to Washington, D.C. She returned to Columbus in 1989 and worked as a senior executive for Huntington National Bank.

[3] In 2002 Governor Bob Taft announced he had chosen Bradley to replace Maureen O'Connor as his running mate.

Following the resignation of Joseph T. Deters as state treasurer, Taft appointed Bradley to the post, effective January 2005.

She resigned as lieutenant governor before taking her new post [4] However, Bradley was defeated by conservative Tea Party-backed Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O'Brien in the May 2006 Republican primary election.