Tom Kovach
{{short description|American politician}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tom Kovach
| image = Tom Kovach.jpg
| image_size =
| office = President of the New Castle County Council
| term_start = January 2011
| term_end = 2012
| predecessor = Paul Clark
| successor =
| state_house1 = Delaware
| district1 = 6th
| term_start1 = January 2009
| term_end1 = January 2011
| predecessor1 = Diana McWilliams
| successor1 = Debra Heffernan
| birth_name = Thomas H. Kovach
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|5|27}}
| birth_place = Woodbury, New Jersey, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| children = 3
| party = Republican
| education = University of Delaware (BA, BS)
Rutgers University (JD)
}}
Thomas H. Kovach (born May 27, 1969) is an American attorney and politician who served in the Delaware House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011 and as the president of the New Castle County Council from 2011 to 2012.{{cite web |title=Thomas H. Kovach |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/campaign-2012/candidates/thomas-tom-h-kovach-62448/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630160332/http://www.washingtontimes.com/campaign-2012/candidates/thomas-tom-h-kovach-62448/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |work=The Washington Times |access-date=May 6, 2013}} A Republican, he ran for the United States House of Representatives seat for Delaware's at-large congressional district in 2012, and lost to incumbent John Carney.
Early life and education
Kovach was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, but grew up in northern Delaware, where he became an Eagle Scout. He earned undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and psychology from the University of Delaware in 1992, and went to work for the Environmental Protection Agency as an enforcement officer before receiving a J.D. degree from Rutgers Law School five years later.
He was a member of the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership.{{cite news |last1=Lamar |first1=Andre |title=Meet Tom Kovach: Outgoing representative chosen for leadership fellowship |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/lifestyle/2010/11/21/meet-tom-kovach-outgoing-representative/63942775007/ |work=The News Journal |date=November 21, 2010}}
Career
=State representative=
Immediately after the 2008 elections, Democrat Dianna Williams announced that she would be resigning her office. Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced a special election five days before Christmas to fill the seat.{{cite web
|title = GOP names Tom Kovach to run in Special Election
|url = http://www.hockessincommunitynews.com/article/20081125/NEWS/311259971
|work = Hockessin Community News
|date = November 25, 2008
|access-date= March 2, 2013
}} Kovach won an upset victory and came into office with the 2008 class. He sat on the Education, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees, among others. He sponsored legislation to make state government more transparent and also tried to move school board elections to coincide with general elections in order to save money and increase voter participation.{{cite web
|title = Biography for State Rep. Tom Kovach
|url = http://www.delawarestatehouse.com/index.cfm?ref=26795&ref5=32
|work = Delaware State House of Representatives: Minority Caucus
|access-date= May 2, 2013
|title = HB 117 - School Board Elections - Key Vote
|url = http://votesmart.org/bill/9673/school-board-elections#.UYEsG8quyjg
|work = Project Vote Smart
|access-date= May 1, 2013
}} He lost reelection during the 2010 election by 400 votes.
{{cite web
|title = State of Delaware: General Election
|author = Department of Elections
|url = http://elections.delaware.gov/archive/elect10/elect10_General/html/election.shtmlx
|work = State of Delaware (official website)
|date = November 5, 2010
|access-date= May 2, 2013
}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
=New Castle County President=
Following the election of New Castle County Executive Chris Coons to the U.S. Senate, New Castle County President Paul Clark was elevated to fill the remainder of his term. This left a vacancy in the office of the presidency, and a special election was called for January 2011.
{{cite web
|title = Polls open for New Castle County special election
|url = http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//delaware/11095-polls-open-for-new-castle-county-special-election
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130704154839/http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//delaware/11095-polls-open-for-new-castle-county-special-election
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = July 4, 2013
|last1 = Fowser
|first1 = Mark
|work = newsworks
|date = January 13, 2011
|access-date= May 1, 2013
}}
Kovach was chosen as the Republican candidate for this position, running against county councilman Tim Sheldon, a Democrat. He won the election with 57% of the vote, making him the first member of his party to win this office in 23 years.{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Xerxes |title=New Castle County GOP candidate seeks to change trend |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/07/10/new-castle-county-gop-candidate-seeks-change-trend/86867050/ |work=The News Journal |date=July 10, 2016}} As president, Kovach has worked to promote transparency and decrease the size of county government.{{cite web |author=Matalch/Gerace |url=http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=31624 |title=Kovach easily wins County Council President's race |work=WDEL 1150 AM |date=January 13, 2011 |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023041947/http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=31624 |archive-date=October 23, 2014 |url-status=dead}} During a State of the County address by New Castle County Executive Paul Clark in 2012, Kovach suggested more work be done to reduce the costs of county services.{{cite web |last=Fowser |first=Mark |url=http://www.wdde.org/21592-clark-state-county |title=NCCo Executive Clark says county on "firm financial footing" in State of the County address |work=Delaware Public Media |date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222015813/http://www.wdde.org/21592-clark-state-county |archive-date=December 22, 2014 |url-status=dead}}
=U.S. House campaign=
In October 2011, Kovach announced that he would run for U.S. Congress. He faced Rose Izzo in the Republican primary. Kovach defeated Izzo in the primary and faced Democratic freshman Representative John Carney.{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Open seat makes NH governor's race most watched; Rhode Island, Delaware also hold primaries |work=Associated Press |date=September 11, 2012 |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/n-hampshire-rhode-island-delaware-hold-primarie |access-date=May 6, 2013}}
During a debate with Carney, Kovach criticized government regulations as harming jobs, saying, "Government needs to get out of the way." He opposed the Affordable Care Act and criticized stimulus packages as failing to "address the fundamental problems" with the economy. He also supported a better energy policy and spending less overseas as means of bringing down budget deficits.{{cite news |last=Mace |first=Ben |url=http://www.doverpost.com/article/20121016/NEWS/121019802?template=printart |title=Citizens protest; Pires calls Carper corrupt, unfit at Delaware debates |newspaper=The Dover Post |location=Dover, DE |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2014}} He went on to lose the election to Carney, receiving 33% of the vote.
Election results
| class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center" |
| bgcolor=#cccccc
! colspan=13 style="background: #ccccff;" | Election results |
| Year
! Office ! Election ! ! Subject ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % |
|---|
| 2008
|State House 6th district |Special | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Tom Kovach |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |1,540 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |51.2% | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Michael Migliore |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democrat |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |1,467 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |48.8% |
| 2010
|State House 6th district |General | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Tom Kovach |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |3,856 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |46.9% | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Debra Heffernan |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democrat |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |4,263 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |51.9% |
| 2011
|New Castle County President |Special | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Tom Kovach |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |16,721 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |57.5% | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Tim Sheldon |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democrat |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |12,139 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |41.7% |
| 2012
|Primary | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Tom Kovach |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |15,018 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |65.6% | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Rose Izzo |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |7,888 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |34.4% |
| 2012
|General | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Tom Kovach |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican |{{Party shading/Republican}} |129,749 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |33% | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |John Carney |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Democrat |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |249,905 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |64% |
Personal life
References
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovach, Tom}}
Category:People from Woodbury, New Jersey
Category:University of Delaware alumni
Category:Rutgers School of Law–Camden alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives
Category:Candidates in the 2012 United States elections
Category:21st-century members of the Delaware General Assembly