State Rep. Kevin Boyle lost access to Pa. Capitol after outburst at Montco bar
Boyle’s security access revocation is the latest sign that House Democrats have fears about his fitness for office, due to concerns for his mental health. State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Democrat representing the 172nd House District in Northeast Philadelphia, has lost his security privileges to the Pennsylvania Capitol building following a public outburst at a Montgomery County bar in February. Boyle, who is seeking reelection for an eighth term, must now enter at the main security checkpoint and be escorted around the building by a member of the House Democratic leadership team. Boyle has previously spoken about his mental health struggles, including a 2021 psychotic episode. He recently lost his position as chair of the state insurance committee. Despite this, Boyle will appear on the ballot and will be supported by fellow Democrat Sean Dougherty.
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Published : 4 weeks ago by Gillian McGoldrick in Politics
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State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Democrat who represents Northeast Philadelphia, lost his access to the Pennsylvania Capitol building following a public outburst at a Montgomery County bar in February.
Since losing his security privileges, Boyle must enter at the main security checkpoint and must be escorted by a member of the House Democratic leadership team around the building, Beth Rementer, the spokesperson for House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery), said Thursday.
Boyle, 44, is seeking reelection for an eighth term to represent the 172nd House District. He is being challenged by fellow Democrat Sean Dougherty, 30, a former assistant public defender and member of the politically powerful Dougherty family.
Boyle has been open in the past about his mental health struggles, following a 2021 psychotic episode. At this point, House Democratic leaders are supporting Dougherty over him, and he recently lost his position as chair of the House insurance committee.
Rementer said Boyle has been in the Capitol since his security privileges were revoked, and that Bradford and House Speaker Joanna McClinton are continuing to encourage “their colleague and dear friend to seek help.”
Boyle did not respond immediately to a request for comment Thursday.
In early February, a video that circulated on social media captured Boyle at Gaul & Co. Malt House in Rockledge, threatening to “end this bar.” He also allegedly threatened to hit female employees, police said at the time.
The outburst occurred a few days before the deadline to file paperwork to appear on the April 23 primary ballot, and House Democratic leaders said at the time that their colleague was seeking help. House Democrats scrambled to recruit Dougherty to run in his place, but Boyle still submitted his petitions and will appear on the ballot. The House Democratic Campaign Committee and top Democratic leaders are supporting Dougherty over Boyle in the upcoming primary.
In 2022, Boyle wrote a letter to his constituents detailing that he’d had a psychotic episode the year prior. He attributed to the use of Adderall he had been taking for ADHD. (There is some research that shows a relationship between psychosis and Adderall usage, but it is relatively rare.)
Boyle was arrested in 2021 while experiencing that mental health crisis. Those charges were later withdrawn and expunged from his record. Boyle said in his 2022 letter to constituents that his life was saved after his arrest and subsequent treatment at a mental health facility.
“I am very, very lucky,” Boyle wrote. “I now understand, in a personal way, that a mental health problem can develop in any person.”