HARRISBURG, PA -- In office less than a week former cabinet maker turned Gov. Tom Wolf, former CEO of Wolf Home Products, has already faced a number of challenges by Republican lawmakers.

Over the objections of Wolf, a Democrat, Senate Republicans moved ahead to consider a number of appointments made by outgoing Gov. Tom Corbett days before his term expired. Members of the Republican Senate caucus also filed a lawsuit against Wolf challenging his ability to terminate the executive director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records who was in the middle of an appointed six-year term.

In addition to the Open Records director, Wolf also recalled more than two dozen nominations to boards, commissions, and judgeships made by the previous administration.

Wolf was sworn in to office Jan. 20. During his inaugural address Wolf said he has three priorities for Pennsylvania during his first term: “Jobs that pay. Schools that teach and government that works.”

Wolf defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Corbett with 55 percent of the vote in November 2014. In May he won the Democratic primary by also garnering 55 percent of the vote.

Prior to running for governor Wolf, who has a PhD in political science from MIT, was appointed revenue secretary by Gov. Ed Rendell in 2006.

Before serving the Rendell administration Wolf sold his family’s 170-year-old business, The Wolf Organization. However, in 2009 Wolf bought the company back and renamed Wolf Building Products as Wolf Home Products to source and sell American-made, Wolf-branded products through Wolf and other channels located in the U.S. and beyond. 

The Wolf Organization then reduced its overall number of business units from 13 to seven, streamlined operations and developed a stronger regional focus. Craig Danielson was named head of the new Wolf Home Products division. 

Wolf’s company claims to be the largest supplier of kitchen and bath cabinetry in the U.S., and a major supplier of building products. It has over 4,000 independent dealers in 29 East Coast and Midwestern states.