Pennsylvania gubernatorial contender Tom Wolf ’71 is building his campaign on a platform of economic innovation, calling attention to his background outside the political sphere to gain recognition as an unconventional candidate in the packed race. The 65-year-old Democrat from Mount Wolf, Pa., who has never held an elected position, said he hopes to win over voters with his background as both a scholar and multi-millionaire businessman.
Wolf’s campaign strategy emphasizes his non-political past in an attempt to avoid the stigma of partisan politics.
“People in both parties are concerned that our political system is not doing what it’s supposed to be doing to make our lives better,” he said.
Government professor Joseph Bafumi said he thinks this strategy will appeal to the electorate.
“Coming at this as an outsider might actually aid him,” Bafumi said.
Wolf campaign communications director Mark Nicastre said Wolf “has the experience and ideas to get Pennsylvania back on track.”
If elected, Wolf said he aims to improve public schools, update the state’s transportation infrastructure, take advantage of the state’s natural gas deposit and ensure fairness in tax policy and government structure.
“The goal is to create a Pennsylvania that is an engine for economic development, a magnet for entrepreneurs and a huge generator of good jobs,” Wolf said.
Wolf is competing in a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls, with eight candidates currently in the running for the May primary.
Bafumi said the large number of Democratic candidates at this point in the race comes from the shortcomings of Pennsylvania’s current administration.
“The current governor is unpopular right now,” Bafumi said. “The election is still far away, but the numbers indicate that the Republicans are beatable.”
Wolf and his wife of almost 40 years, Frances, have committed $10 million of their own funds for the primary campaign. The campaign has generated an additional $3 million through fundraising efforts.
Wolf’s decision to run for governor stems from his experiences as a Dartmouth student, he said.
“At Dartmouth, you weren’t allowed to wait around and let things happen,” he said. “If you wanted something to be done, you got involved and you did it. That’s a key thing I took away from my three years at the College, and I think it’s something that gets to the heart of citizenship in our era.”
After graduating from the College, Wolf earned a master’s degree from the University of London and a doctorate in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wolf later served as the CEO and chairman of his family’s business, The Wolf Organization, a distributor of bath and kitchen cabinetry and building materials. He worked part-time at the company until the end of 2013, when he began focusing exclusively on his gubernatorial campaign.
Though he has never held public office, Wolf served as former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell’s state secretary of revenue from Feb. 2007 to Nov. 2008. In 2009, Wolf ran for governor but said he withdrew his candidacy early in the race to return to The Wolf Organization, which was approaching bankruptcy.
According a December poll by Quinnipiac University, Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., and former state Auditor General Jack Wagner present the strongest challenges to incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, R-Pa.
Other candidates include state treasurer Rob McCord and Allentown, Pa., mayor Ed Pawlowski.
The primary will take place on May 20, followed by the general election on Nov. 4.
