Kovar entered politics full-time in 1982, when he took a job with Frank's re-election campaign. He moved to Washington soon after to work as a junior staffer in the congressman's office. Kovar jumped to Kerry's office as Correspondence Manager after he was elected to the Senate in 1985.

Kovar rejoined Frank's office as a legislative assistant in 1986. When Frank's longtime aide left in 1991, Kovar was named chief of staff, a position he held until he was tapped for his HUD job in March 2009.

In that position, Kovar supervised Frank's Washington office and helped implement Frank's legislative agenda. He also helped the high-profile lawmaker develop his political strategy. A quick review of press reports about Frank indicates that Kovar has also served as a mouthpiece for the office - he is quoted almost as often as the congressman himself.

Kovar is active in his local community of Takoma Park, Md. He is active in the Takoma Foundation, a non-profit organization that makes grants to "advance the social, environmental, economic, educational and cultural interests of the greater Takoma Park community."

Kovar was also a congressional relations volunteer at the Democratic Convention in Denver, where he touched base with leaders a couple of times a day. He raised money for President Barack Obama's campaign in Maryland.

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