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She has long been a household name for many in Luzerne County, whether they are interested in politics or not.
Kathy Bozinski became known to thousands for her work in television broadcasting, and more recently continued to appear in the news as spokesperson for the United Way of Wyoming Valley.
Now, Bozinski has a new role: Leading the Luzerne County Democratic Party at one of the most critical moments in its history.
Her elevation from vice chair comes seven days after one of its local standard-bearers defected, at a time when the party has been working furiously to stop the bleeding of declining registration, and as the nation heads into a presidential election year.
Her vision: Embrace traditional Democrats, engage young Democrats in Luzerne County and reach out to new residents of the county. She also wants to make sure Hazleton-area Democrats “have a strong seat at the table,” and said it is important to reengage those who have left the party, including those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016.
“The Democratic Party has always been a big tent party,” Bozinski said during an interview Tuesday afternoon after news of her promotion emerged.
A shrinking tent
In Luzerne County that tent has been shrinking, however.
While Democrats still hold the lead in voter registration, it’s a lead that has been declining steadily in recent years.
Democrats held a 44,655 lead in the November 2015 election. Four years prior, in 2011, the divide was 47,669.
Heading into this month’s general election, there were 105,548 registered Democrats and 77,577 Republicans, a difference of just 27,971.
The party had been headed since June 2018 by John Pekarovsky, a longtime Larksville councilman who was elected to succeed Michael DeCosmo of Hazle Township.
“The party has been broke,” Pekarovsky said then. “We’re on the way to fixing it.”
Registration declines continued, but matters grew more contentious last week with a notable departure, when state Sen. John Yudichak announced he was switching from a Democrat to an independent who will caucus with Republicans in Harrisburg.
Yudichak, of Plymouth Township, cited his frustration with a toxic, highly partisan political culture as prompting the move.
“We are all fighting for what is best for Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Yudichak said following his Nov. 19 announcement. “We have to be able to have dialogue with both sides of the aisle.”
Citing personal ties to Yudichak as well as abuse he had suffered on social media, Pekarovsky stepped aside this week. That paved the way for Bozinski, whom he had named vice chair in September 2018. She is now tapped to serve the remainder of Pekarovsky’s term, which expires in 2022.
Bozinski kept her thoughts about Yudichak’s switch to a minimum on Tuesday.
“I truly can’t speak to what motivated the senator to make the change,” she said. “I am more focused on where we go from here, not what brought us here.”
Focus on middle class
Asked what the party needs to focus on, Bozinski stressed the needs of working Americans.
“We have to reinvigorate the middle class,” she said. “The middle class is the essence of America.”
That, Bozinski added, is why she is and remains a Democrat.
“It means a better life,” she said.
And that included a better life for her maternal grandfather, who came to America from Poland first to work as a gardener in Connecticut, and then as a coal miner in Nanticoke, where he supported a family of eight children.
“The labor movement improved conditions in the mines, so that someone like my grandfather was able to come here and work hard and have a chance at having a good life,” Bozinski said.
“That was instilled in my grandparents and my parents, and that is what the Democratic Party means to me,” she added. “It’s also good public education, family-sustaining wages for everyone, good health care, not having to choose between filling a prescription and putting food on the table.”
Forging connections
At a time when an increasing number of Luzerne County voters are looking to the Republican Party to better their way of life, Bozinski believes her experience and connections will help her bring people back to the Democrats.
“I’ve been blessed to have created partnerships with people throughout Luzerne County over the past year or more as vice chair,” she said. “We need to make new friends and keep the old.”
She also wants to embrace those who voted for Trump.
“Let’s face it, we are in a transitional period right now. There has been giant seismic change,” Bozinski said.
“Step one is to make sure the Democratic Party as it stands is unified,” she said. “But we will definitely reach out to voters who may have felt that their views were not being heard in the Democratic Party.”
Contacted Tuesday by the Times Leader, Luzerne County Republican Party Chairman Justin Behrens wished Bozinski the best in her new position, praising her as talented as she takes on “a tough role.”
“I hope to have many civil and spirited elections with her,” Behrens said.
“As for Senator Yudichak, he is a very respectable man that has the best interests of his area at heart,” he added.
“We see every day Democrats switching their party to Republican,” Behrens said. “We welcome anyone that would like to be part of our party, and hope someday Yudichak will join us also.”
Politics separate from work
Bozinski stressed that she would continue to maintain a strict separation between her job at the United Way and her political activity, as she said she had done as vice chair.
United Way of Wyoming Valley President and CEO Bill Jones on Tuesday expressed confidence in Bozinski’s ability to do just that.
“The United Way of Wyoming Valley has been, is, and will always be non-political, period. Over our nearly 100 year history, individuals from throughout the community, including prominent Republicans, Democrats, labor, business owners, and so many others from all walks of life have come together to support the critical work of improving our community. Today, the United Way’s most important campaign is the campaign to reduce childhood poverty in the Wyoming Valley,” he wrote in a statement submitted to the Times Leader.
“As a private individual, Kathy is within her rights and is free to pursue her passions on her own time. She has been the vice chair of the county Democrat party for over a year and not once has that been an issue or impacted the important work she does for the United Way,” Jones added. “I don’t expect that to change. As long as we all continue to leave politics at the door and remain focused on our mission, Kathy’s new role as the volunteer chair of the party will be completely separate from her work and should be a non-issue to the United Way.”