After the unexpected death of state Representative
John Laudadio in 1977, Kukovich won a
special election on November 8, 1977, to complete the remainder of the deceased member's
term of office. While in the House, Kukovich served as Majority Policy Chairman and also chaired several other key committees. A reformer known for his efforts to reduce the size of the
Pennsylvania General Assembly and promote
open government and
accountability, he was instrumental in enacting the
Children's Health Insurance Program in Pennsylvania, which later served as a model for the federal CHIP program, and which has provided hundreds of thousands of children in Pennsylvania with free or low-cost health insurance each year. Politically, he was "liberal leaning." Following the primary,
Ed Rendell, the Democratic nominee for governor, asked Kukovich to serve as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Kukovich held that post through the successful gubernatorial campaign of Rendell/Knoll. In November, 2004, Kukovich lost his senate seat to Republican
Bob Regola. Shortly after he left office, Kukovich was tapped to serve as Director of
Governor Rendell's
Southwestern Pennsylvania office. Kukovich help found the Pennsylvania chapter of
Common Cause in the early 1970s and is currently an executive board member of the national organization,
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA). ==References==