Mirroring a national trend, Delaware County Democrats swept all countywide seats in Tuesday’s General Election, including Delaware County Council, writes Katie Bernard for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Tuesday also saw the election of Media Borough’s first woman of color for mayor. The county’s district attorney, Jack Stollsteimer, also won a seat on Delaware County Court.
In an election focused on rising taxes, County Councilmember Richard Womack won a second term on the County Council, and County Controller Joanne Phillips was elected to her first term on the County Council.
“I will continue to work hard and fight for the residents in our County. I look forward to working together with all parties to make Delaware County one of the strongest counties in the Commonwealth,” Womack said in a statement.
Republican challengers Brian Burke and Liz Piazza were about 50,000 votes behind Womack and Phillips, according to unofficial results on Wednesday.
Frank Agovino, the chair of the Delaware County GOP, said it appeared local issues were a “secondary concern” for Democrats this year.
“The statewide retention initiative was uncharted waters, and it feels as though Dem turnout was positively impacted. Additionally, the Unrealistic disdain for the President from the majority of Democrats was also an undeniable factor,” Agovino wrote in a statement.
Last year, county property taxes rose 23 percent, which officials attributed to the loss of pandemic funds and inflation. Republicans hoped that would give them representation on the Council over budgetary decisions and hold Democrats accountable.
But instead, voters in the heavily Democratic county showed continued trust in the current county leaders.
Read more about Delaware County’s election results in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
A new mayor in Media
Joi Washington will be Media Borough’s first woman and person of color to serve as mayor, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Washington garnered 77 percent of the vote in Media, beating out Kevin Kellogg, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2021.
The 39-year-old Democrat said she was “so excited” to become “everybody’s mayor” in “Everybody’s Hometown.”
“I just really love this town,” she said. “That’s the reason why I ran.”
Washington said her first priority would be to increase road safety and reduce traffic fatalities.
Washington, originally from Germantown, came to Media from Roxborough in 2013 and fell in love with the vibrancy of the borough, along with its walkability and public transit access.
She’s been a Media Borough Council member since 2022.
Washington replaces Democrat Bob McMahon, who has been Media’s mayor since 1992.
Read more about Joi Washington’s Media election win in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
