Gov. Tom Ridge will formally resign from office today to take his new cabinet-level position as head of the Office of Homeland Security in Washington.
Mark Schweiker, the lieutenant governor, will be sworn in as governor at 2 p.m. during a ceremony on the steps of the state capitol in Harrisburg. Ridge will start his new job on Monday.
According to Kevin Shivers, a spokesman for Ridge, the governor has great faith in Schweiker's ability to lead the commonwealth.
Ridge "firmly believes that the lieutenant governor is ready to take on the reins of state government," Shivers said. "Schweiker has been at the table for every major decision of this administration."
Ridge first announced his resignation on Sept. 20, following a speech by President Bush to a joint session of Congress. During the speech, the president said he was appointing Ridge to lead the new office. Since then, Shivers said Ridge has been working tirelessly to prepare the state for the change in leadership.
"First off, [Ridge] has been working hard to ensure the smooth transfer of power at the state level," Shivers said.
Ridge himself has said he has mixed emotions about leaving Pennsylvania for Washington, feeling the need to serve both his country and his state.
"As you know, I had committed to serve out my second and final term," Ridge said the night Bush announced his appointment. "But over the past 10 days, our world has changed. Countless Pennsylvanians have set aside their plans in order to aid their countrymen."
And Shivers said yesterday that Ridge has tried every day to do his best for the people of Pennsylvania.
"Every day that he has served in his role [as governor] he has put a hundred and fifty percent into administering state government and representing the people of Pennsylvania, not only here, but around the world," Shivers said.
According to White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, Ridge's military experience and strong leadership abilities made him the right man for the job.
"Gov. Ridge is a leader in Pennsylvania who is well qualified to take on this very important task," Stanzel said.
For Schweiker, years of collaborating with Ridge on key decisions will help him tackle the challenges of the governorship. According to Shivers, Schweiker was included on every major project the Ridge administration undertook.
"The governor and lieutenant governor have been very close partners in this administration over the last several years," Shivers said. "Schweiker has been at the table for every major decision of this administration."
Ron Ruman, spokesman for Schweiker, said that this close relationship has helped to familiarize Schweiker with the job.
"It's not like he's coming into a completely new situation," Ruman said.
But regardless of the qualifications Ridge and Schweiker possess for their new jobs, both will have some very difficult issues to deal with in the coming months. Perhaps most notably, Schweiker will be working closely with Philadelphia on whether or not to privatize the city's public schools.
And Ridge will be working to determine the boundaries and duties of an office whose function is still loosely defined.
According to Penn Political Science Professor Stephen Gale, a leading terrorism expert, Ridge is a very competent leader, but the challenges of the office may be too much for one person to handle.
"I see him as someone who is a very determined administrator," Gale said. "Could be you have to divide it up, [the job might be] too much for one man."
But according to Shivers, despite the challenges of providing a smooth transition of power, getting a handle on the duties of his new office and dealing with his family life, Ridge is ready for his new job.
"All three of these tasks have major responsibilities on his part," Shivers said. But "come Monday, he's ready to work."
