Ronald Paul Klink
Early life and career
Klink was born in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Meyersdale High School in Pennsylvania in 1969. He married Linda Loree Hogan in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on August 27, 1977.
Broadcasting career
Klink originally worked behind the scenes at WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1977 and then became weatherman plus fill-in sports anchor until his departure for Pittsburgh in July 1978. He later became a recognizable figure in the Pittsburgh area as a television news weatherman and reporter on KDKA-TV from 1978 to 1991.
Congress
In 1992, Klink sought the Democratic nomination for the 4th District and defeated five-term incumbent Joe Kolter in the primary. He was easily elected in November and served four terms in the House, never winning less than 64 percent of the vote. Klink was popular within his district as a moderate Democrat with strong labor ties.
2000 Senate campaign
In 2000, he left his House seat to run unsuccessfully for the Senate against incumbent Rick Santorum.
!Year
!
!Democrat
!Votes
!Pct
!
!Republican
!Votes
!Pct
!
!3rd Party
!Party
!Votes
!Pct
!
|-
|1992
|
| |Ron Klink
| align="right" |186,684
| |78%
|
| |
| align="right" |48,484
| |20%
|
| |Drew Ley
| |None of Above
| align="right" |2,754
| align="right" |1%
|
|-
|1994
|
| |Ron Klink
| align="right" |119,115
| |64%
|
| |Ed Peglow
| align="right" |66,509
| |36%
| |*
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1996
|
| |Ron Klink
| align="right" |142,621
| |64%
|
| |
| align="right" |79,448
| |36%
| |*
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1998
|
| |Ron Klink
| align="right" |103,183
| |64%
|
| |Mike Turzai
| align="right" |58,485
| |36%
| |*
|
|
|
|
|
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1994, write-ins received 6 votes. In 1996, write-ins received 98 votes. In 1998, write-ins received 17 votes.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
|+ Pennsylvania Senator (Class I): 2000 results