Catherine Baker Knoll was a fighter.
She had wins. She suffered losses. But her energy and drive seemed endless.
Knoll began working for the Democratic Party decades ago. She was a volunteer with the late Milton Shapp’s gubernatorial campaign, which helped her land a job with PennDot.
Her unwavering loyalty and unflagging energy caught the attention of party leaders.
Catherine Baker Knoll was among the first women to move up from campaign worker to candidate on a statewide level.
She was at her best working a room, talking to people, listening to them. That was one of her strengths when she became a serious political contender.
It took three tries before Catherine Baker Knoll was elected Pennsylvania Treasurer in 1988. She was overwhelmingly reelected four years later.
She was enormously popular in western Pennsylvania, especially among older voters.
That popularity wasn’t enough, though, when she tried to run for governor in 1994. Seven Democrats were vying for the job and she came in third in the primary.
But the woman known as "CBK" to many in Harrisburg didn’t disappear from the political scene.
Eight years later, she ran for Lt. Governor -- and became the first woman to win. She was right to be proud of the victory.
In August, she announced she had cancer -- but vowed to keep working.
Catherine Baker Knoll was a fighter -- but this was one battle she couldn’t win.
She died Wednesday night.
Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll leaves behind four children, scores of friends and an impressive political legacy.
She may be gone -- but she won’t be forgotten.
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