PHILADELPHIA — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of state Rep. Kevin Boyle, Philadelphia police said Tuesday, after Boyle allegedly violated a protection from abuse order his ex-wife had filed against him.

Boyle, 44, who is seeking reelection to an eighth term, was expected to be charged with violation of a PFA by communication, said Police Department spokesperson Eric Gripp.

Boyle, who represents part of Northeast Philadelphia, has been open about his struggles with his mental health in recent years, following a 2021 psychotic episode that culminated in an arrest that was later expunged. Boyle said in a 2022 letter to constituents that his life was saved after his arrest and subsequent treatment at a mental health facility.

The House Democratic Campaign Committee poured a total of $72,000 into the campaign of Boyle’s challenger, Sean Dougherty, according to campaign finance reports filed last week.

House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery), who is close friends with Boyle, said in an interview last week he “wholeheartedly supports” Dougherty in the April 23 primary election and that he has concerns for Boyle’s mental health.

“I love Kevin Boyle, and I want him to get the help he needs,” Bradford added, tearing up. “They’re not mutually exclusive. It breaks my heart to see him this way.”

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