Tom Wolf is the incumbent Governor of Pennsylvania, having assumed office on January 20, 2015 alongside Lieutenant Governor Michael Stack as the successor of Tom Corbett. Previously, Tom was Secretary of Revenue of Pennsylvania (2007 – 2008). He is also a businessman.
Early Life and Education
Tom Wolf was born on November 17, 1948 to father William and mother Cornelia Wolf. Growing up in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania as a Methodist, Tom went to The Hill School for early education.
Graduating from The Hill School, Wolf joined Dartmouth College for undergraduate studies. He went to the University of London for Master’s degree in Philosophy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a Ph.D. in politics.
Personal Life
Tom Wolf is married to Frances Donnelly and has two daughters: Sarah and Katie Wolf.
Career
Prior to graduating from Dartmouth College, Tom Wolf entered Peace Corps to serve in India for two years. Completing Ph.D. education at MIT, he went on to work as a manager for The Wolf Organisation. Reportedly, he turned down an interview offer from Harvard University for an academic tenure faculty position.
While at York with The Wolf Organisation, Tom started as a forklift operator and later managed to own the whole company in collaboration with two other colleagues. In 2006, the group sold the company and entered politics. As he was looking to run for Gubernatorial election 2010, The Wolf Organisation began facing bankruptcy. In order to save the organizational reputation, Wolf repurchased the company with a pursuit of stabilizing it again.
As Wolf’s business career was peaking, he was recruited to serve as a board member for state economic development board and legislative commission on urban schools. After he left the company in 2006, he became Secretary of Revenue of Pennsylvania and serve for a year. Moreover, Tom chairs several organizations in Oregon such as York County United Way, York County Community Foundation and York Country Chamber of Commerce.
Having gained considerable fame as a businessman and a politician, Wolf joined the 2014 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Elections. He faced Allyson Schwartz, Rob McCord, and Kathleen McGinty and gained an easy Republican nomination with 57.86% votes in hand. In the 2014 general election, Tom Wolf defeated the incumbent Governor Tom Corbett with 54.93% votes against 45.07% votes.
As Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom introduced two executive orders that banned sharing gifts with any state officials and imposed bidding process for state contracts as soon as he took office. As his first budget proposal, Tom Wolf presented a heavy increase in spending on education and other supply side sector and reduction in taxation. In 2016, he launched a new campaign titled ‘It’s On US PA’ which aims to reduce sexual assaults and violence in educational institutions of Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump and Tom Wolf
Donald Trump and Tom Wolf represent two different parties, but they have the same background: they are both businessmen. However, unlike President Trump, Governor Wolf had held political offices in the past.
Tom Wolf has reminded that President Trump’s budget proposals will badly hurt Pennsylvanians, and he also condemned Trump’s immigration order. Wolf also refused to attend Trump Inauguration ceremony on January 20.
