Sen. Kim Ward makes history as 1st female pro tempore of Pa. Senate

Nov. 15—State Sen. Kim Ward keeps making history.

On Tuesday, the Hempfield Republican became the first woman to be appointed by fellow lawmakers as president pro tempore of the state Senate. She will oversee operations of the governing body and serve as its leader in the new position, holding the responsibility of selecting all committee chairs and handling nominations.

But that doesn't mean she will forget about Westmoreland County.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we help the county," she said.

Ward succeeds State Sen. Jake Corman in the role. His term expires at the end of 2022 and he did not seek reelection.

For the past two years, Ward has served as the Senate's majority leader. That also was a history-making role, as she was the first woman to rise to that level of leadership. In an interview with the Tribune-Review, Ward called Tuesday's appointment the "highest honor."

"It doesn't matter what gender you are, and it doesn't matter what color of skin you have," she said. "You can get there."

Ward pointed to other history-making election outcomes in Southwestern Pennsylvania as proof: State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, and state Rep. Austin Davis, D-McKeesport, became the highest-ranking Black public official in Pennsylvania after being elected lieutenant governor.

Having a woman in such a powerful, high-ranking position can be inspiring to women young and old to see themselves represented in a leadership role, said Dana Brown, executive director of Chatham University's Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. It helps women think of big possibilities for themselves and also for state government.

"I think it's so important that we have these role models," Brown said.

Ward is in her fourth term as state senator. She has held the office since 2008 and was the first woman to represent the 39th District, which covers most of the county.

As majority leader, she has overseen the legislative agenda, chaired the Senate Rules and Executive Nomination Committee and helped shape party strategy. And she did it all during the covid-19 pandemic, the reshaping of the state's legislative districts and fighting a bout with breast cancer.

Ward pointed to several achievements during her time as majority leader through that adversity, including constitutional amendments that limit disaster declarations and the reduction of the state's corporate net income tax.

"We've done some really good things that I'm proud of," she said. "We've had some really great accomplishments the last couple years."

Ward joined GOP Senate leadership in 2019 when she was named chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, again becoming the first woman to hold the role.

She got her start in politics in 1994 as county chair for Republican Rick Santorum's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate, then served as a Hempfield supervisor from 2002-07. She was elected as a county commissioner in 2008, a position she held briefly before running for Senate.

Ward is looking forward to getting started in the new role. She hopes to address issues that are important to all Pennsylvanians.

"The last thing we want to look like in Harrisburg is Washington, D.C.," Ward said.

As president pro tempore of the Senate, Ward will briefly serve as the state's lieutenant governor after John Fetterman is sworn into his U.S. Senate seat and before Davis is inaugurated.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .