PA Senate lawmakers reelect Kim Ward as president pro tempore

Westmoreland County Republican Kim Ward was unanimously reelected as the Pennsylvania Senate president pro tempore on Tuesday after members of both parties supported her bid to continue leading the General Assembly’s upper chamber. 

Ward was first elected to hold the Senate’s top leadership position for the 2023-24 legislative session, and previously served as Senate majority leader. She said Tuesday that it was an honor to continue to lead the state Senate. 

She highlighted some of the chamber’s recent work, including the passage of the 2025-26 state budget, which removed the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and implemented reforms to the state’s permitting processes. Both policy changes will benefit the state’s economy, she said.

“It’s an honor to be here, and I’m hopeful that we, together, continue our forward motion,” Ward said. “I’m grateful and honored for all of your support. So let’s make history by building on the history that we have already made.”

The Senate’s operating rules require the chamber to elect a president pro tempore (Latin for “for the time being”) at the beginning and end of each session, who is tasked with presiding over the chamber when the lieutenant governor is absent, and is also responsible for appointing members and referring legislation to the Senate’s standing committees. 

Ward received praise from members on both sides of the aisle prior to Tuesday’s vote. 

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, an Indiana County Republican, nominated Ward to continue serving as president pro tempore – and he did so by reciting a poem about Ward: 

I rise to nominate the honorable Kim L. Ward for the Office of President Pro Tempore.

Kim and I talk almost every single day,

And we get along extremely well, no matter what others in town may say.

She works hard for this institution to make sure all the members are treated in a good way,

And my sincere hope is her time as president pro tempore will never go away.

But make no mistake, while she often has a very sunny demeanor, 

If one dare crosses her, she could not be meaner.

We all know she loves to dance and sing,

But she’s also unbeatable in the political ring.

I admire all she has achieved,

And all the accolades are justly received,

And while she’s made a few laps around the track,

She has much more work to do that keeps her coming back

To this wonderful institution that she leads so gently,

Which is why her reelection should receive votes aplenty.

So I ask all of my colleagues to support her nomination for pro tem,

Because there is no better leader than Kim Ward – a beautiful gem. 

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, a Democrat from Allegheny County, seconded Ward’s nomination to serve as pro tempore, praising her leadership of the chamber, as well as her advocacy for access to breast cancer screenings and healthcare. 

Costa said Ward “has always been someone who always looked out for the best interest of this chamber, regardless of what side of the aisle we sit on, regardless of what side of this room we sit on, regardless of what party we are.”

“She’s always been an honest, pragmatic leader and someone who I think epitomizes who we are as Pennsylvanians,” Costa added. 

State Sen. Rosemary Brown, a Republican who represents Lackawanna, Monroe and Wayne counties, also heaped praise on the returning president pro tempore. She said that Ward “brings to this role exactly what is demanded: a sharp mind, a strong work ethic and the kind of organization, spunk and energy that is needed. She’s straightforward, she’s hard working, and cuts through the noise, always getting the job done.”