Chesco Democrats have a host of choices

WEST CHESTER >> Democratic voters in Chester County have an array of choices for countywide offices in the coming May primary.

Multiple candidates have filed nomination papers as Democrats for Common Pleas Court judge, county commissioner, sheriff, prothonotary, and recorder of deeds. Should those petitions stand up to any possible challenges, and the candidates listed decide to remain on the ballot following the Chester County Democratic Committee’s nominating convention on Tuesday, the primary races could be lively.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said party Chairman Dick Bingham of the number of people who have shown interest in running for the county offices listed on the ballot. “We have string group of candidates, all wit god qualifications. We have given them a tremendous going over.

“Even if we cant come up with endorsements (at the upcoming convention), there will still be really strong candidates on the ballot,” Bingham said.

Meanwhile, county Republicans won’t have much to choose from on the ballot. All of the party’s candidates for county Row Office are running unopposed — according to the nominating petitions filed with the county Office of Voter Services last week — and the two candidates who won endorsement for the two Common Pleas seats, though opposed on the ballot by cross-filing Democratic candidates — do not appear to face any significant challenge.

The number of possible races on the Democratic ballot this year contrasts significantly with the situation four years ago, when none of the county Row Office positions saw Election Day contests, and an eventual party turnout of only 12.5 percent. Bingham said, however, that the increase in the party’s registration numbers — only 10,553 registrations separate the party from the county Republicans — and its successes in recent elections — the party’s candidates swept four county offices in 2017, seven statewide candidates for the General Assembly in 2018, plus the first Democratic representative in Congress elected since the Civil War — give it “momentum” going into the fall.

The lead spot on the Democratic ticket is the race to see who will represent the party for county commissioner, that position that oversees county government and the courthouse system. There are two ballot positions available for each party, and four candidates running as Democrats.

The candidates include the party’s three-time incumbent, Kathi Cozzone of Uwchlan. But she is joined by one of the party’s current elected officials, Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell, who voters have come to know in his previous runs for state office; a previous candidate for the state House of Representatives, businesswoman Marian Moskowitz of Tredyffrin; and ballot newcomer Ginny Kerslake of West Whiteland, a longtime opponent to the Mariner East pipeline.

The other race with a crowded ballot is the contest for county sheriff which now has four candidates who filed nominating petitions — attorney Dan Boyle of Pennsbury, current Deputy Sheriff Joseph Lunsford of East Fallowfield, attorney Fredda Maddox of Birmingham, and Mike Sarro of West Bradford, a deputy sheriff and part time police officer.

The party will also see contests between two candidates each for county prothonotary and register of wills, with candidates Joe Heffern, and East Fallowfield attorney, and Debbie Bookman, a project coordinators of Coatesville, seeking the party’s nod for prothonotary, and party fixtures Lisa Longo of Phoenixville and Michelle Vaughn of East Whiteland seeking the endorsement for register of wills.

Two candidates are running unopposed, attorneys Deb Ryan of Birmingham for district attorney and Chris Pielli of West Goshen for recorder of deeds.

The race for Common Pleas judge at the convention will feature five party candidates — current Magisterial District Judge Bret Binder of East Bradford, attorney and township Supervisor Matthew Holt of Tredyffrin, attorney and former Magisterial District Judge Daniel Maisano of Kennett, attorney Thomas McCabe of Newlin, and current Magisterial District Judge Analisa Sondergaard of Tredyffrin.

If all five continue on to the May primary with or without the Democratic endorsement, they will be joined on the ballot by two cross-filing Republicans who now work in the county District Attorney’s Office, Deputy District Attorney Andrea Cardamone of Malvern and Chief of Staff Charles Gaza of East Marlborough. Of the registered Democrats, Binder, Holt and Sondergaard have also cross filed on the Republican ticket.

Bingham said that the committee would award endorsements to whoever of the candidates gets 65 percent of the vote at the convention. If none of the candidates secures an endorsement after a second ballot, no recommendation would be made to party voters in the spring. Regardless of the endorsement process, candidates who filed nominating petitions can continue of to the primary, or withdraw their names from consideration by March 27.

Of the Republicans, current incumbent commissioners Terence Farrell of West Chester and Michelle Kichline of Tredyffrin will be joined on the GOP ticket by incumbent District Attorney Tom Hogan of Willistown, incumbent Prothonotary Matt Holliday of West Chester, and incumbent Register of Wills Terri Clark of West Goshen. Running for recorder of deeds is Amber Little Turner of Coatesville and for sheriff, Jim Fitzgerald of West Goshen.

The GOP held its convention last month, while the Democrats are scheduled to meet Tuesday at Stetson Middle School.