Kim Ward, Secretary

Kim Ward’s journey into politics began in 1994, when then Congressman Rick Santorum asked her to serve as the Westmoreland County Santorum for Senate Chair in Westmoreland County. In 1996, she was elected as the Westmoreland County Republican Committee Chair, from 1998-2002 she served as the PAGOP Southwest Caucus Chair, and she has now been elected three times as a state committee member.

In the year 2000, Kim was appointed as an alternate delegate by former PAGOP Chair Alan Novak and she was also appointed by Governor Tom Ridge as an elector that same Presidential year. From 2003 until 2006, Kim served on the board of the Anne Anstine Series which promotes leadership roles for women in politics.

In 2000, after serving as the Westmoreland County Chair for countless national and statewide candidates, Kim took a job for the first time in 15 years working as the SWPA Political Director for Santorum Rick Santorum.

In 2001, Kim ran for and was elected as a Hempfield Township Supervisor (the second largest township in SWPA). She was the first Republican elected in 23 years and was, at that time, the only Republican on the Board, and more importantly, the only woman. That Board now consists of five Republicans and no Democrats.

In 2002, Governor Mark Schweiker appointed Kim as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Governor’s Representative. In 2003, she began her own firm, Commonwealth Political Associates, which immediately was contracted to run 84 Lumber founder Joe Hardy’s county commissioner campaign and they also ran races for the State House Republican Caucus.

In 2004, Kim was the SWPA Field Director for Bush/Cheney ’04. In 2005, she changed the name of Commonwealth Political Associates to Ward Strategies because she added government relations to the mix of political consulting.

In 2006, Kim was highly committed and focused on re-electing Rick Santorum to the U.S. Senate.
In June 2006, Kim was elected to serve as Secretary for the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania. Kim is an active member of State Committee, and an integral player in Southwestern Pennsylvania politics.