DEMS THE ONES!
DELCO DEMOCRATS PICK SLATE FOR COUNTY OFFICE, GIRD FOR BATTLE WITH GOP
Delaware County Democrats gather Sunday night after being endorsed by the party committee for county offices. Jack Stollsteimer, second from left, will seek to be the next district attorney. From left are County Council candidates Monica Taylor, Christine Reuther and Elaine Schaefer.
The Delaware County Democratic Committee endorsed candidates for countywide offices this year, including three women vying for open spots on county council.
Dr. Monica Taylor of Upper Darby joins Havertown native Christine Reuther and Elaine Paul Schaefer of Radnor as the endorsed county council candidates, while state Deputy Treasurer of Consumer Programs and Public Engagement Jack Stollsteimer has been picked to try to unseat Republican Katayoun Copeland as District Attorney.
Rounding out the endorsed candidate list are four Democrats seeking open seats on the Delaware County Common Pleas Court: Former Magisterial District Judge Stephanie Klein, former Swarthmore Mayor Rick Lowe, Kelly Eckel, a trial attorney who narrowly lost a bid for the bench last year to former District Attorney Jack Whelan, and Nusrat Rashid, who has maintained her own practice in Chester since 2010.
“I think it’s a strong, balanced slate of people who have extensive experience in local government and who have shown their dedication and integrity over the years,” said Democratic Party Chair Colleen Guiney. “I think they work well together and I think they will work well if elected.”
The year 2017 saw the introduction of two Democrats on county council for the first time since the 1970s with the elections of Kevin M. Madden and Brian P. Zidek. About a dozen other Democrats had expressed interest in running for the remaining three seats on county council and six Democrats were seeking an endorsement for judicial spots.
Current Republican county council members John McBlain and Colleen Morrone are unable to run again due to term limits. County council members can only serve two consecutive four-year terms and both McBlain and Morrone have served on council since January 2012. Incumbent Republican Mike Culp is not seeking re-election.
The four open seats on the Common Pleas Court include one created by the state Legislature. The election of Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon to the Commonwealth Court created the second and the third was left by former President Judge Chad Kenney, who has moved on to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The death of Judge James Nilon last year created the fourth vacancy.
Guiney said the endorsement process began months ago with a series of forums around the county that allowed rank-and-file members to hear the candidates’ positions on the issues. This culminated in an hours-long meeting Sunday where a dozen tabulators counted and recounted paper ballots from 876 people credentialed to vote. Those assembled for the endorsement meeting were “very enthusiastic and very patient with the process,” Guiney reported.
At least one Democratic candidate who was not selected Sunday said he would remain in the race regardless. Mike Farrell, 52, who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease 20 years ago, indicated in a release that his candidacy had received too much support to withdraw now.
“People with disabilities too often shy away from engaging in politics,” Farrell said. “But, I believe that we have something important to contribute to the public discourse. I want to encourage people with disabilities to run for office, to volunteer, and to vote.”
Delaware County Republicans also selected their candidates earlier this month.
Party leadership selected Thornbury Supervisors Chairman Jim Raith, non-profit board member Mike Morgan of Newtown and activist Kelly Colvin of Drexel Hill as its endorsed county council candidates last week.
Copeland, appointed to fulfill Whelan’s unexpired term when he became a Common Pleas judge in January 2018, also received the unchallenged and unanimous endorsement to run for a full four-year term at a meeting Feb. 11.