One of the more unique aspects of this upcoming election is the number of individuals running for everything from state governor to local offices with no government experience. It is true that there was always the first person that the surgeon cut open or the first airplane that a pilot landed on the ground. Still, in these instances, there is a great amount of training beforehand and an expert at their side while they are experiencing their first action. An individual that meets the prerequisite requirements, however, does not have to have any experience or training to become an elected official.
However, should the novice get elected, they painfully discover that the learning curve is vicious, with what seems like a thousand things they must know instantly to perform their job at just a functional level. Some of those newly effective candidates adapt quite quickly, and some never seem to get it at all. This is why it is critical to examine the background of the non-incumbent candidate beyond their publicly released bio sheets.
Ann Kaufman, running for PA State Representative for the 83rd District, is a good case in point. Ann is a Williamsport native whose father owns and operates the Kaufman Funeral Home and Cremation Services located on Northway Road in Williamsport. She attended St. John Neumann High School, graduating in 2010. After high school, she initially pursued studying music, but Ann realized quickly she had a political itch she had to scratch. She received a bachelor’s degree in Government Law and National Security from Misericordia University, and this was followed by a master’s degree from Pittsburgh University in Public and International Affairs. Toying with the idea of working for the FBI or CIA, she cooled toward the idea when picturing years locked into a tiny cubicle pouring over data. Her heartbeat was for the political arena.
Ann grew up in a family that was quite active in politics and even talked about world affairs around the dinner table. So, it was quite natural during her years of schooling for Ann to be an active volunteer in local Republican politics, especially in the US Congressional campaigns of Tom Marino. After graduating from Pitt, she was offered a position on his 2016 campaign, and when the campaign manager moved to Tennessee, Ann was tapped on the shoulder to take over.
At that time, in her mid-twenties, if Ann Kaufman was not the youngest person to be campaign manager for a member of the US Congress, she had to be one of the youngest. Tom showed wisdom in selecting Ann, for in that 2016 election, in a highly competitive environment, Congressman Marino earned over 70% of the vote, the highest he ever received. From there, Ann became District Representation for the Central District, one of three districts covering the fifteen counties which Congressman Marino represented. It was not glamorous but rather grinding work, helping constituents with federal program problems such as social security, the VA, IRS, etc. Ann worked hard to listen to their concerns, and through this, she learned how to navigate the federal bureaucracy to find solutions to the problems brought before her.
When Congressman Marino had to step down due to health reasons in January of 2019, his successor, Fred Keller, was elected in May of 2019 and immediately hired Ann Kaufman to be on his staff. He wanted and needed someone with real-world experience in managing budgets and important projects and knew that in Ann Kaufman, he had just the right person.
I also know personally that Representative Keller not only valued Ann for her government expertise but he also recognized her commitment to the community, which was not unlike his own. She is an active member and volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Montoursville, serves as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and 4-H, the Fraternal Order of Eagles 970 in Williamsport, and enjoys her Second Amendment rights by being a member of the National Rifle Association. Beyond that, she is also a very active member of the Lycoming County Republican Committee, currently serving as vice-chair and on the Williamsport/Lycoming County Council of Republican Women.
In the May 17th primary, every name on the ballot has a right to be there, but it does not mean that they earned that right to be there. If a person meets the various age and residency prerequisites, they can download a petition online from lyco.org., knock on enough doors for signatures to get a ballot petition filled up, and their name will be on the ballot. Those who have extra disposable money can invest in their campaign to get their name out on signs or flyers.
Yet ultimately, it all comes back to the voter. We make the decision, and we must live with it, at least until the next election. A non-incumbent candidate, especially for a state office, should have a better than average education, a good grasp of how state and national government works, and have a broad perspective by having their fingers in a lot of community pies.
Ann Kaufman is a model for a ‘novice’ running for a higher office. This is why she has been enthusiastically endorsed by former Congressman Tom Marino, Congressman Fred Keller, and State Representatives Jeff Wheeland and Joe Hamm. These men know how hard the job is, and they know from personal experience that Ann Kaufman will not be intimidated by the responsibility. She will not be lost on how to get started in Harrisburg or what needs to be done in her District. This is a person who will be more than ready to do every aspect of her job for the PA 83rd District on Day One.
