Sen. Ward says it’s a ‘scary time’ in politics

She installed more security cameras at her home over the weekend.

By TOM FONTAINE
TribLive

Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward spent part of her Saturday afternoon installing more security cameras around her Hempfield home.

Another act of political violence inspired the home project.

And yet, in today’s turbulent political climate, Ward says no amount of home security will be able to put her mind completely at ease.

“I have lights, deadbolts, alarms, guns, cameras — I still don’t like being in my house in the middle of the night by myself,” said Ward, a Republican.

“It’s a scary time in politics,” she added.

In the latest act of political violence, authorities say Vance Boelter, 57, fatally shot former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Mark in their suburban Minneapolis home early Saturday. He also is accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife Yvette in their home a few miles away, but they survived.

Police apprehended Boelter on Sunday following what officials described as the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history.

“I’m horrified and saddened beyond words. Every legislator of every party deserves to carry out our duties, live and work in safety,” state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, wrote on the social media platform X following the shootings.

“All she wanted to do was do her job, and she was doing the best she could,” Ward said of Hortman. “In this political world, we don’t all agree, and sometimes we have very strong opinions. But we want to talk to each other and work together. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Ward and Costa said Monday that people need to tamp down the political rhetoric.

The Senate leaders said they have talked with members of their respective caucuses about what happened in Minnesota. Ward said she asked members of her caucus to “be more vigilant and take commonsense precautions” whether they are in Harrisburg, their districts or at home, such as carefully vetting people seeking meetings, exercising caution when approached by strangers, locking doors and using security cameras.

Ward and Costa said they also spoke with authorities in Harrisburg about security issues.

Both lawmakers said they are going to continue doing their jobs.

“This horrifying occurrence in Minnesota is obviously on my mind, but it’s not going to prevent me from doing what I’ve always done,” Costa said. “As leader of the Democratic caucus, I have an obligation to ensure that members feel we are doing what we need to do to protect them and their families.”

“It’s scary, but you have to do your job,” Ward added. “You can’t really let this stop you from doing your job. You just have be extra careful.”

Pennsylvania hasn’t been immune to acts of political violence.

In April, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated from the governor’s residence in Harrisburg after someone firebombed the residence and started a fire that heavily damaged part of the first floor.