Braceland launches write-in campaign for mayor

WEST CHESTER >> Borough Councilman Don Braceland announced a writein campaign for mayor after he was bounced from the May 18 Democratic Primary ballot.

Financial Interest Forms are required by both Chester County Voter Services and the borough. After Braceland submitted his Financial Interest form a day late on March 10, Common Pleas Judge Edward Griffith ruled Monday that Braceland’s name be stricken from the ballot.

“My passion for the Borough and its best interests motivate me to continue on, despite the difficulties of a write-in campaign and the type of politics that is being practiced now,” Braceland said, Thursday. “That distresses me more than anything as it’s not fair to our residents.

“If by chance I am elected, I will conduct the office of mayor with rational calm, insight, compassion, no need or desire for power and absolutely no drama. That’s just my nature.”

Candidates on the May 18 Democratic Primary ballot are: Lillian DeBaptiste, Kyle Hudson and Jordan Norley. No Republican chose to run. Eric Lorgus will run as an Independent in November.

Braceland said that when dropping off his petitions at Voter Services on March 5, he asked about several financial forms he had with him and was told they didn’t have to be handed in for another week or so.

“Seeing no apparent urgency, I did not drop off the Financial Interest form at the borough until a day after the March 9 deadline for petitions,” he said.

On March 10, the borough received a Right To Know Request from attorney Joe Samuel requesting the Financial Interest forms of all the mayoral candidates. The petitioner was Keith Miller, a resident of the Borough. Miller did not attend the hearing.

“At the hearing, Joe Samuel represented Keith Miller. I felt I should have been able to face my accuser,” Braceland said.

“My error with the Financial Interest form was unintentional, but concurrently I’ve never seen or experienced something as petty as this in my near 10 years involvement with the Borough, but the error was mine alone.

“The irony is that no one ever looks at or checks the Financial Interest form … they get put in a locked file and there they remain sometimes for many years.”

Braceland