THE LIFE OF REILLY
TOP DELCO REPUBLICAN TALKS ABOUT LEAVING POST, FUTURE OF THE PARTY
From the Reagan era, Andrew Reilly has been impassioned by Republican standards and politics and is preparing to take that to another level when he assumes the job of leading the Southeast Pennsylvania Republican Caucus on Dec. 1.
Delaware County’s Republican chairman was elected unanimously to the position Nov. 19 and plans to move out of his county role.
“My present intent is to meet with the district and municipal GOP leaders and hopefully transition to new leadership for the Delaware County GOP,” the 56-yearold said. “It is my present intent to transfer leadership to another leader, get some fresh ideas in here. I’ll still be the GOP leader of Middletown and I’ll work with whomever the committee people select.”
Reilly said he plans to meet with the nine state legislative leaders and 49 municipal leaders to discuss a replacement, who has not yet emerged.
Reilly’s rise to county Republican prominence began as a young man when he helped his father, John Reilly, as he was running for Delaware County Common Pleas Court in 1987.
“I helped circulate his petitions to help get him on the Democratic ballot,” Reilly said.
His dad grew up in St. John’s orphanage in West Philadelphia and was planning to be a plumber when World War II broke out. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a quartermaster, steering destroyers. After the war, through the GI Bill, John Reilly went to Temple Law School and became a prosecutor and eventually district attorney of Delaware County from 1981 to 1987.
“(He was a) phenomenal man, just a decent, honest person you’d ever want to meet, never an ill word about anyone,” Reilly said, with the only exception being the motorcycle gangs like the Warlocks and Pagans. “I miss him every day.”
For a long time, his father was a Democrat, even running John F. Kennedy’s campaign for president here in the county. Then, his views changed. “My father in the ‘70’s felt that the Democratic Party left him and the conservative working man,” Reilly said. “He became a supporter of Reagan.”
As did his son.
“I was really indoctrinated during the Reagan years,” Reilly said. “I liked his style. I liked his conservative policies but he was a fair, common man. He had a love of the country that I share. He really was for everybody. I think he was just an American hero.”
That affinity translated into activism as he joined the Young Republicans of Delaware County and eventually became its chair. That followed by a litany of political positions he’s held since that time from assistant committeeman to committeeman to various roles with the local, district and county GOP. He’s serves as secretary of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
He also was a delegate to the National GOP Convention and a member of its Credentials Committee and served as a member of the Pennsylvania Electoral College.
Reilly’s run a plethora of campaigns from the local municipal level to school board to state representatives and senators to county Common Pleas and Commonwealth Court judges.
“I’ve run local township races all the way to statewide races,” he said. “It’s a good fit for what I’ve done.”
By profession, he is a
“It doesn’t serve anyone to have these wildly partisan lines – either way, because those Congress people who get elected will only try to serve their party. If you have competitive districts, then they serve both sides ... I think that would help. There would be less division in our country. I just think there would be more collegiality.”
— Delaware County Republican Chairman Andrew Reilly
partner in the Media office of Swartz Campbell. He is also a married father of three.
Reilly spoke of the dynamics that impacted the most recent election where four state level seats and the U.S. Congressional seat swung Democratic.
“Sure, there’s a demographic shift that’s been occurring for 20 years with people moving in who are more inclined to be Democrat,” he said. “It’s a slow shift. But, on top of that there are two other phenomenons that occurred in the last election that are unique.”
First, there was a national reaction that impacted every suburban area throughout the country, Reilly explained.
“In my view, 95 percent of Democrats and 25 percent of Republicans came
out to send a message to the president,” he said.
And, he said the district lines were changed.
“The congressional lines were redrawn by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and when they drew the congressional lines, they took our district from being a 50/50 district to more Democrat,” he said, adding that in his view, the court redrawing the district was unconstitutional.
He gave the example of North Carolina, where a similar gerrymandering lawsuit had been filed. There, he added, the districts were set to be redrawn for the 2020 election.
“The lack of competitive congressional districts really hurt the down ballot candidates,” Reilly said. “In past years, ... we always had a firewall. They would come and vote for Pat Meehan or Curt Weldon ... Not having that Republican firewall was a critical factor.”
Reilly shared his perspective on how the Delco GOP can gain ground and win races again.
“My advice is you go back to basics,” he said. “Those are the things you need to do going forward: Focus on the local races next year; hopefully, convince the White House to have a suburban message; redraw the congressional lines fairly so they have competitive races.”
In even years, Reilly said, voter turnout is driven from the top of the ballot down.
“In all odd number elections, it’s driven out from the bottom, like school board up,” he said. “You’ll win the county races if you work well on the local races.”
Then, he added, “The White House needs to have a suburban-friendly message.”
Reilly said President Donald Trump’s demeanor and lack of tact can have an adverse effect on suburban voters of all affiliations.
“I think many of his policies can work well here,” he added. “I think the suburban voters would support someone who says, ‘Hey you want to come into the country, you need to do it legally’ and you need to secure your borders. What they dislike is the perception that he is opposed to people or racist in some way that is unfriendly to Central and South Americans.
“Most people coming across the border are just looking for a better way of life, mostly,” Reilly said, adding that the path to citizenship has to be reformed and people who commit crimes can’t be allowed to enter.
He added that redrawing the district lines, which will occur in 2020, would benefit voters and policies.
“It doesn’t serve anyone to have these wildly partisan lines – either way,” he said, “because those Congress people who get elected will only try to serve their party. If you have competitive districts, then they serve both sides ... I think that would help. There would be less division in our country. I just think there would be more collegiality.”
Another idea Reilly said is being considered is being proposed by state Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168, of Middletown, and would allow independent voters to vote in primaries.
“A lot of Republicans and Democrats are not going to like that,” he said. “To me, they are citizens, they pay taxes, they should have a say in the primaries and I think that would help moderate the primaries ... I think people then won’t be as drastic in their positions.”
Reilly said only in America could a family like his evolve to the level of success it has.
“My grandfather worked in a shipyard, my father grew up in an orphanage and I paid my way through school,” he said. “I had the opportunity to put my three daughters through school. In most countries, you don’t have that, you’re born into a class system, you stay there in socialist countries.”