While a graduate at Duquesne University in 1952, she met and married Charles A. Knoll, a restaurateur and hotel owner 17 years her senior,[4] who became the Postmaster of the Stowe, Kennedy, and McKees Rocks area.

[4] Knoll began her political career as a campaign worker for local and statewide Democratic candidates, first for her father, Nick, and later for Governor Milton Shapp.

[4] She ran again in 1984 but lost a close primary in which her opponent, Auditor General Al Benedict, originally conceded on election night but later withdrew his concession.

[citation needed] In 1994, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into Knoll and her staff after four state consultants reaped improper fees from a prison bond issue.

[4] The State Committee voted to endorse no candidate and Knoll re-entered the race only to finish third in a seven-way primary.

Maintaining her base of support among women and senior citizens,[8] Knoll won the primary with 25% of the vote, winning 54 of the state's 67 counties.

She was paired with Democratic nominee for governor Ed Rendell, who also defeated the establishment favorite in his primary (Bob Casey Jr.).

[9] The Rendell/ Knoll ticket won the general election 53% to 44% over Republicans Mike Fisher and his running mate Jane Earll.

Knoll's old rival Barbara Hafer, after failing to secure the Republican nomination for governor, actually endorsed Rendell and later switched to the Democratic party.