Tom Wolf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Wolf
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Wolf in 2022
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| 47th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 20, 2015 – January 17, 2023 |
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| Lieutenant |
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| Preceded by | Tom Corbett |
| Succeeded by | Josh Shapiro |
| Secretary of Revenue of Pennsylvania | |
| In office April 25, 2007 – November 30, 2008 |
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| Governor | Ed Rendell |
| Preceded by | Gregory Fajt |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Stetler |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Westerman Wolf
November 17, 1948 Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Frances Donnelly
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman. He served as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2023. Before becoming governor, he was the chairman and CEO of his family business, The Wolf Organization. He also worked as the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue from 2007 to 2008.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Wolf won the election for governor of Pennsylvania in 2014. He beat the Republican governor at the time, Tom Corbett. He was elected again in 2018. Josh Shapiro took over as governor after Wolf in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and School
Wolf was born and grew up in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania. His parents were Cornelia and William Wolf. His hometown was named after one of his ancestors, who was the town's postmaster.
He was raised in the Methodist church, which is a type of Christian church. Now, he is part of the Episcopal Church, another Christian church.
Wolf finished high school at The Hill School in 1967. He then went to Dartmouth College and earned a degree in government in 1972. He graduated with high honors. Later, he studied at the University of London and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1981. While at Dartmouth, Wolf joined the Peace Corps and lived in India for two years, helping people there.
After getting his Ph.D., his important paper about the United States House of Representatives was named the best of 1981. Wolf decided to work at his family's business, The Wolf Organization, instead of becoming a professor at Harvard University.
He met his wife, Frances, at school. They got married in 1975 and have two adult daughters.
Business and Early Public Service
Wolf bought The Wolf Organization in 1985 with two business partners. He also served on boards that helped with economic growth and urban schools in Pennsylvania.
In 2006, he sold his company. The next year, Governor Ed Rendell asked Wolf to become the secretary of revenue of Pennsylvania. He worked in this role from April 2007 until November 2008. He thought about running for governor in 2010 but decided not to. Instead, he bought back The Wolf Organization because it was having financial problems.
Wolf continued to work at The Wolf Organization until he was elected governor. He was the chairman and CEO. He left these roles in 2013 and 2014 to focus on his campaigns.
Wolf has also led many community groups. These include the York County United Way, the York County Community Foundation, and the York College board.
Running for Governor
2014 Election Campaign
On April 2, 2013, Tom Wolf announced he would run for governor of Pennsylvania. He promised to use $10 million of his own money for the first part of the election. He also planned to raise more money from supporters.
By March 2014, polls showed Wolf was the favorite to win the Democratic nomination. This was after he ran many TV ads. He had a large lead over other candidates.
In May 2014, Wolf won the Democratic nomination. He then ran against the Republican governor, Tom Corbett, in the general election. Polls showed Wolf had a steady lead over Corbett. On November 4, Wolf was elected governor with 54.9% of the votes. He was the first person to defeat a sitting governor in Pennsylvania since 1968.
2018 Election Campaign
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Wolf ran for reelection in 2018. He had no opponents in the Democratic primary election. In the general election, he defeated Republican State Senator Scott Wagner. Wolf won with about 57% of the votes.
Governor of Pennsylvania (2015–2023)
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Wolf became Pennsylvania's 47th governor on January 20, 2015. His swearing-in ceremony was held at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. He chose not to live in the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence. Instead, he traveled from his home in York. The residence was still used for official events.
Soon after becoming governor, Wolf signed two important orders. One order stopped state employees from accepting gifts. The other required a fair bidding process for legal contracts. Wolf also brought back a ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in state parks. He also put a temporary stop to the death penalty in Pennsylvania. A major step he took was expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
State Budget
In March 2015, Wolf suggested his first budget plan. It included more money for education. It also aimed to lower property taxes and the corporate tax. He also proposed a new tax on natural gas.
On July 1, 2015, Wolf rejected the budget bill from the Pennsylvania General Assembly. This caused a long disagreement between the governor and the legislature. Wolf said the budget was not balanced. Republicans disagreed, saying it would increase funding without raising taxes. One big point of disagreement was about selling Pennsylvania's wine and liquor. Wolf was against privatizing these sales. The state operated without a full budget for 267 days. This was the longest time without a budget in Pennsylvania's history. The budget finally became law in March 2016 without Wolf's signature.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
On March 6, 2020, Wolf confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. As cases grew, Wolf ordered all public schools and parks to close. Later that month, he ordered all non-essential businesses to close their physical locations. This was to help slow the spread of the virus. On April 9, Wolf ordered all schools to stay closed for the rest of the school year. Students continued learning online using tools like Google Classroom.
Some lawmakers tried to remove Wolf from office because of his pandemic rules. They said his rules hurt the economy and went beyond his power. However, this effort did not move forward. A judge later ruled that some of Wolf's restrictions were unconstitutional. But a higher court allowed the restrictions to continue while the case was appealed.
In May 2021, Pennsylvania voters approved changes to the governor's emergency powers. This made Pennsylvania the first state to limit a governor's emergency powers since the pandemic began. Disaster declarations were limited to 21 days. The state legislature gained more power to extend or end emergency orders.
In March 2021, Wolf announced that the state would start using the one-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This was to help students return to in-person classes. In August, Wolf required students, teachers, and staff in all K-12 schools to wear masks. This was due to a rise in cases from the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.
Voting Reforms
In 2019, Wolf signed new laws about voting. These laws allowed people to vote by mail without needing a special reason. After the 2020 presidential election, Wolf officially confirmed the election results for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Wolf spoke out against claims that the election was unfair. In June 2021, Wolf rejected a bill that would have required voters to show identification in statewide elections.
Foreign Relations
Wolf generally opposed using economic punishments against countries. He believed in peaceful solutions to problems. However, he made an exception for Russia. After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he supported economic punishments against Russia.
Pardons Issued
During his eight years as governor, Wolf issued 2,540 pardons. This means he forgave people for their past crimes. This was the highest number of pardons issued by any governor in Pennsylvania's history.
Personal Life
In 1975, Wolf married Frances Donnelly, who is an oil painter. They have two children. They lived in York, Pennsylvania, for many years. In 2023, he announced that he and his wife were moving to Philadelphia.
On February 24, 2016, Wolf shared that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said it was found early and would not stop him from doing his job. In January 2017, his doctor said he was healthy after treatment.
Images for kids
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Governor Wolf signs an executive order to ban fracking in state parks on January 29, 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Tom Wolf para niños
