38 Facts About Tom Wolf

Thomas Westerman Wolf was born on November 17,1948 and is an American politician and businessman who served as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2023.

Tom Wolf previously served as chairman and CEO of his business, The Wolf Organization, and later as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue from April 2007 to November 2008.

Tom Wolf was succeeded by fellow Democrat Josh Shapiro in 2023.

Tom Wolf's hometown was named after his ancestor, who was the town's postmaster.

Tom Wolf attended his local public school through 10th grade and graduated from The Hill School, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in 1967.

Tom Wolf turned down an opportunity to interview for a tenure-track faculty position at Harvard University to begin his career at The Tom Wolf Organization as manager of a True Value store owned by the company.

Tom Wolf met his wife, Frances, in London, when they were both students.

Tom Wolf purchased The Tom Wolf Organization in 1985 with two partners.

Tom Wolf served in that position in Rendell's cabinet from his April 2007 confirmation by the Pennsylvania State Senate until he resigned in November 2008.

Tom Wolf had planned to run for governor of Pennsylvania in the 2010 election, but ultimately did not in order to repurchase the Wolf Organization, which was facing bankruptcy.

Tom Wolf continued to serve as an executive in The Tom Wolf Organization until his election as governor.

Tom Wolf served as chairman and chief executive officer until stepping down from the latter position in December 2013 to focus on his gubernatorial campaign and from the board altogether in December 2014 after his election.

Tom Wolf chaired the York County United Way, the York County Community Foundation, the York College board of trustees, and the York County Chamber of Commerce, WITF, the regional public television system, Better York, Historic York, the Housing Council of York, and the Administrative Board of Otterbein United Methodist Church.

Tom Wolf has served on the boards of the York Jewish Community Center, Memorial Hospital of York and Crispus Attucks of York.

Tom Wolf pledged $10 million of his own money toward the primary election, with an intent to raise at least $5 million from supporters.

Tom Wolf was the third person to announce candidacy, after John Hanger of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Max Meyers, a minister from Cumberland County, but at least four others were expected to join the race.

Tom Wolf's victory was notable for engaging traditionally Republican areas of the state.

Tom Wolf is the first challenger to oust a sitting governor of Pennsylvania since the state's governors became eligible for immediate reelection in 1968.

Tom Wolf ran for reelection in 2018 and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Tom Wolf is the first Pennsylvania governor to win election twice while losing both times in his home county.

Tom Wolf took office as Pennsylvania's 47th governor upon the expiration of Corbett's term on January 20,2015, with the inaugural ceremony occurring in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg.

Shortly after being sworn in, Tom Wolf signed two executive orders banning gifts to state employees and requiring a bidding process for outside legal contracts.

Tom Wolf restored a ban on hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", in state parks and placed a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania.

Tom Wolf proposed his first budget in March 2015, which included an increase in education spending, reductions in property taxes and the corporate tax, and a new severance tax on natural gas.

On July 1,2015, Tom Wolf vetoed a budget the Pennsylvania General Assembly submitted to him, causing a budget dispute between the governor's office and the legislature.

Tom Wolf argued the budget was not balanced, disputing Republicans' claim that it would provide increased funding in certain areas without raising taxes.

In November 2016, Tom Wolf signed several laws addressing the opioid crisis in the state.

In January 2018, Tom Wolf declared Pennsylvania's heroin and opioid addiction crisis a statewide emergency.

Tom Wolf signed into law bills that legalized medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, reformed pensions, and expanded the number of offenses former criminal defendants could get sealed, among other legislation.

In September and October 2020, Tom Wolf held a series of press conferences making the case for legalizing recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania, arguing that the reform was particularly needed in light of the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 and the prospect of losing revenue to New Jersey, which had recently legalized cannabis.

Tom Wolf first came out for legalization in 2019 after a statewide listening tour by Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman showed broad support for legalization.

On March 6,2020, Tom Wolf confirmed there were two known cases of COVID-19 in Delaware County and in Wayne County.

On September 14,2020, District Court Judge William S Stickman IV ruled that the restrictions Wolf imposed during the pandemic were unconstitutional, violating the right to freedom of assembly guaranteed by the First Amendment.

In March 2021, Tom Wolf announced the state would start rolling out the one-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in order to get students back into the classroom for in-person instruction.

In 2019, Tom Wolf signed reforms into law that would allow no-excuse mail-in ballot voting.

Tom Wolf fought against claims the election was fraudulent and criticized politicians who supported those claims.

In June 2021, Tom Wolf vetoed a bill that would have mandated voter identification in statewide elections.

On February 24,2016, Tom Wolf announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.