Before entering political life, he ran a company in the parking business and worked as a referee in the Canadian Football League.
[3] Kovnats first ran for the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1973, losing to New Democrat Harry Shafransky in the riding of Radisson by about 600 votes.
[2] In the 1981 provincial election, Kovnats was re-elected[1] over NDP candidate Lloyd Schreyer by about 700 votes in the redistributed riding of Niakwa.
He was an opponent of the legal retrenchment of French language services in Manitoba in 1984, and was re-elected with an increased majority in the 1986 provincial election.
[5] Kovnats was defeated by Liberal candidate Herold Driedger in the 1988 provincial election,[1] ironically as the Progressive Conservatives formed a minority government.