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Kathy Boockvar

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Kathy Boockvar
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In office
January 5, 2019 – February 5, 2021
  • Acting: January 5, 2019 – November 19, 2019
GovernorTom Wolf
Preceded byRobert Torres (acting)
Succeeded byVeronica Degraffenreid (acting)
Personal details
Born
Kathryn Boockvar

(1968-10-23) October 23, 1968 (age 56)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJordan Yeager
Education

Kathryn Boockvar (/ˈbʊkvɑːr/, born October 23, 1968)[1] is an American attorney and politician who served as the secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from January 5, 2019 to February 5, 2021. She was appointed to the position by Governor Tom Wolf. Boockvar has previously served as Senior Advisor to the Governor on Election Modernization, beginning in March 2018.[2] In August 2019, she was named co-chair of the Elections Committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State.[3]

Boockvar previously served as chief counsel at the Pennsylvania auditor general, on the board of commissioners of the Delaware River Port Authority, and as executive director of Lifecycle WomanCare, a birth center in suburban Philadelphia.[4] She has worked as a poll worker and voting-rights attorney in Pennsylvania.[5]

Early life and education

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Born on Staten Island,[6] Boockvar was raised in Hewlett Neck, New York, where she attended Hewlett High School.[7] Boockvar earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 and graduated as a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law at American University in 1993.[5]

Professional career

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After completing both the New York and Pennsylvania bar exams, Boockvar began her career at Northern Pennsylvania Legal Services, an organization that provides legal services for people with low incomes and domestic violence survivors.[7] After four years with the organization, she began work as an attorney for Lehigh Valley Legal Services [7] representing low-income clients in cases of unemployment compensation, family law, disability, protection from abuse, bankruptcy, elder law and other issues.[8] In 1997, she was Managing Partner of Boockvar & Yeager along with her husband and litigated cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S. District Courts as well as Pennsylvania courts[8] related to employment, social security, pensions and insurance.[7]

From 2008 to 2011, Boockvar worked for Advancement Project, a non-profit organization focused on voting rights in Pennsylvania. During her tenure, she worked on voter rights education campaigns across the state.[7]

In 2023, Boockvar joined the University of Pittsburgh as a visiting scholar and adjunct professor in the university’s School of Law. She will work in the university's Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security and focus her work on election security, disinformation and other issues at the intersection of democracy and technology. [9]

In October 2023, Boockvar announced the launch of her political consulting firm, Athena Strategies. The firm works with organizations to advocate for election security and advise on election policy and legislation. [10]

Political career

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Boockvar ran unsuccessfully for the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in 2011.

She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the 8th congressional district in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, losing to incumbent Michael G. Fitzpatrick.[11]

In March 2018, Boockvar was named Senior Adviser to the Governor on Election Modernization in the Pennsylvania Department of State by Governor Tom Wolf.[12]

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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She was appointed acting secretary of the Commonwealth on January 5, 2019 and confirmed by the Senate on November 19, 2019.[5] In August 2019, she was named co-chair of the Elections Committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State.[13]

Resignation

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On February 5, 2021, Boockvar resigned from her position after a departmental oversight occurred in which the Pennsylvania Department of State did not properly advertise to voters the proposal of a constitutional amendment for a retroactive window for victims of child sexual abuse to sue offenders. The process was begun to restore proper course of action, and the Pennsylvania Department of State will resume the process of publicizing the proposed amendment to be eligible for the ballot in 2023. All other amendments passed during the 2019–20 legislative session were properly advertised.[14] Boockvar took responsibility for the department's oversight, sharing her opinion that accountability is a cornerstone of public service.[15] Veronica Degraffenreid succeeded her as acting Secretary of the Commonwealth.[16]

Electoral history

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Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2011: Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathryn Boockvar 311,732 50.2
Democratic Barbara Behrend Ernsberger 309,680 49.8
Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anne Covey 978,634 52.4
Democratic Kathryn Boockvar 890,701 47.6
Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Boockvar 25,595 100.0
Total votes 25,595 100.0
Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District 2012[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael G. Fitzpatrick (Incumbent) 199,379 56.6
Democratic Kathryn Boockvar 152,859 43.4
Total votes 352,238 100
Republican hold

Personal life

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Boockvar resides with her husband, Judge Jordan Yeager, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.[18]

Her brother, John Boockvar, is a neurosurgeon who was featured in the Netflix documentary series Lenox Hill.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Pennsylvania Bar Association – Kathy Boockvar Personal Data Questionnaire" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Gov. Wolf reshuffles cabinet ahead of second term | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  3. ^ "Elections and Voting During a Pandemic Webinar". Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "/ccpa/". TribLIVE.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Secretary of the Commonwealth". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  6. ^ "A Q&A WITH KATHRYN BOOCKVAR OF LIFECYCLE WOMANCARE". Lifecycle Woman Cae. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e "On a quest for change in government". Long Island Herald. March 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Kathryn Boockvar CV" (PDF). Philly.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Former Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar to join Pitt as visiting scholar". March 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar Launches Athena Strategies, LLC" (Press release). October 17, 2023.
  11. ^ Gibson, Keegan (January 12, 2012). "It's Official: Boockvar to Challenge Fitzpatrick". PoliticsPA. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  12. ^ "What Should Voting Look Like In The 21st Century?". Penn State University. June 18, 2018. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "Keynote Speaker Announced, Celebrating 100th Anniversary of Women Having the Vote". BCTV. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  14. ^ Couloumbis, Angela (February 1, 2021). "A Pa. Dept. of State error means some sex-abuse victims will again have to wait for justice". Spotlight PA. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  15. ^ Kelly, Mary Louise (February 11, 2021). "Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar On The Lessons She's Learned". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Galaskas, Tyler (February 1, 2021). "PA Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar to resign after department fails to advertise constitutional amendment".
  17. ^ "Statistics of Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 2012". Karen Haas, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. February 28, 2013. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  18. ^ "Two Democrats, One Republican Elected For Judge Seats". Levittown Now. November 6, 2019. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  19. ^ "Protect and Elect". The Pennsylvania Gazette. August 21, 2020. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
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Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
2019–2021 		Succeeded by
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