Elections is the primary area Wolf represents in the Senate. . Following incumbent
Robert O'Leary's announcement that he would retire to run for the
United States House of Representatives, Wolf declared that he would run to succeed him, one month before the deadline. His campaign set records for
fundraising with a
war chest of over $300,000, more than either of his opponents. In the Democratic primary Wolf faced and defeated
Barnstable County Commissioner Sheila Lyons with nearly twice as many votes. In the general election Wolf defeated
Republican real estate developer James H. Crocker Jr. In his 2012 bid for re-election Wolf faced no competition in either a primary or general election. In 2014 Wolf was re-elected to his third term, defeating Republican Ron Beaty in the general election. In October 2015,
The Boston Globe first reported that Wolf was considering not running for re-election. Weeks later in November, Wolf confirmed that he would remain in office, but would not seek re-election in 2016. Wolf's political aspirations were prodded shortly after handily winning re-election in 2014, though he said he was more focused on serving his constituents than considering future office. After rumors that Wolf would not seek re-election in 2016 to focus on a
run for governor in 2018 began circulating, Senate President
Stan Rosenberg suggested it was because Wolf wanted to focus more on running his airline company. On July 10, 2012, Wolf testified before the
United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to discuss the effects of the two laws. Wolf's further statements on the positive aspects of PPACA were eventually cut short by chairman
Darrell Issa, a staunch PPACA opponent. Wolf supported a failed amendment in 2012 which would have implemented single-payer health care in Massachusetts if a study proved it was more effective in reducing costs than the state's current model. Wolf has been a consistent supporter of mandated
paid sick days for employees, with his company Cape Air offering paid leave for all employees. To generate support among other senators, Wolf went so far as to hold a protest with workers' rights activists at a
Dunkin' Donuts frequented by legislators. While advocating for the bill in a committee hearing, Wolf admitted "it never occurred to me that there were that many businesses out there that didn't offer this as a benefit," and referred to the experience as "an eye-opener." Although the proposal eventually expired without being passed, for reasons Wolf described as a compromise with the
legislature having already passed an incremental
minimum wage increase, he campaigned for a
ballot measure in 2014 which would mandate universal employee sick time. As the senator for
Cape Cod, Wolf supported
Cape Wind, a project to build an offshore
wind farm in
Nantucket Sound. In 2011, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships praised Wolf's company Cape Air for efficient initiatives such as installing a major solar panel system at their headquarters, expanding office recycling, and distributing compact fluorescent light bulbs to employees. Wolf has been a vocal critic of the
Supreme Court's ruling in
Citizens United v. FEC, and published an op-ed piece emphasizing the distinction between people and corporations. Wolf reiterated his opposition to
corporate personhood at a breakfast event in his campaign for governor, joking: "Cape Air and my daughters [are about] the same age... I've never actually confused my daughters for Cape Air." A supporter of adopting a
constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court decision, Wolf co-sponsored and voted for a resolution to do so. As a guest speaker at a
Brookings Institution's summit on Citizens United increase in political spending in 2016, Wolf said a constitutional amendment was vital for changing the political status quo. Consistently voting to increase the
minimum wage, in 2014 Wolf supported a bill eventually signed into law which would reform
unemployment insurance and increase Massachusetts' minimum wage to $11 an hour by 2017. In 2015, Wolf joined the
Fight for $15 and introduced legislation which would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2018. In doing so, Wolf acknowledged his "awkward, interesting place," being that the bill would increase wages of commercial employees at airports higher than his airline company, Cape Air, could pay its employees. Wolf has similarly received criticism for Cape Air's participation in the
federal Essential Air Service program, which grants millions of dollars in
subsidies to airlines in exchange for flying less-profitable routes considered essential.
Committee assignments Wolf served on the following committees. • Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development (Chair) • Senate Committee on Steering and Policy (Chair) • Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development • Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy • Joint Committee on Revenue • Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses ==2014 gubernatorial campaign==