Now that he has beaten imploded incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett and broken the string of two-term gubernatorial administrations, Governor-elect Tom Wolf is moving ahead with his transition—and in one case, ahead of his transition.
On Nov. 10, Wolf named his primary election opponent and former state Department of Environmental Protection head Kathleen McGinty as his chief of staff.
Until Jan. 20, she will serve on the transition team. McGinty is the only person named to it so far. Wolf has also unveiled a transition website, but so far it lacks much functionality beyond an “about page” that displays Wolf’s biography. When contacted, Campaign spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan repeated the news about McGinty, adding only that, “Regarding the transition, announcements will be made in the coming days and weeks.”
Black voters overwhelmingly supported Wolf, but then he also won every other demographic in his pummeling of Corbett by claiming 54 percent of the vote.
When asked about diversity during an editorial board meeting with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Wolf noted that both the controller and manager of his company are Black. He said he would be his administration’s chief diversity officer.
Still, what role Wolf’s African-American supporters, both in and out of government, might play in the transition, or even within the administration is, as yet, unclear. Nevertheless, some of those supporters expect greater representation than was seen in the Corbett administration.
Rick Adams, co-convener of the Western Pennsylvania Black Political Assembly said only that he would expect Governor-elect Wolf to support part of the assembly’s agenda going forward.
“We really haven’t had any meetings yet to discuss any recommendations to the transition team,” he said.
State Rep. Ed Gainey, D-East Liberty, an early and vocal supporter of Wolf’s education agenda, said he believes McGinty earned her spot and he supports her appointment. As to recommending African-Americans for spots on the transition team or within the administration, Gainey said he would defer comment on that to state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District.
“Jake has worked very closely with the campaign, and if he puts forth any names, I would support him,” said Gainey. “I have a few ideas on that and I’ve discussed them with Jake, but he’s more senior than I am and he’ll make any statements if and when its time.”
But as important as having African-American input on the transition is, Gainey said it’s not as important as having input on how new policies would be implemented.
“We have to make sure we’re at the table and working with the administration on education, particularly in low-income communities,” he said. “And since we’re going to be talking about new taxes and tax increases, we need to make sure they aren’t detrimental to the Black community.”
Wheatley, who along with state Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, was introducing Wolf to people in Pittsburgh’s Black community before anyone knew who he was, said he trusts Wolf to form an inclusive transition team and administration.
“Dwight and I supported him because he made the commitment—from his experience—to be sensitive to inclusion. I expect him to continue to be an open, caring individual and it will be reflected in his transition team and administration.
“He’s going to be looking for the best and brightest—and those don’t necessarily come from politician’s recommendations. And because of how he financed the campaign, he doesn’t owe a lot of favors. So, go to the website, upload a resume, and see what happens.”
The transition team website is wolftransition.com.
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
