Chester County Democratic Committee

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By SARA MOSQUEDA-FERNANDEZ, Daily Local News, 5/20/13

The shape of the general election will be determined by several judicial, municipal and school board are races in today’s primary.

In Pennsylvania, candidates are permitted to cross-file on both the Democratic and Republican ballots for judge and school board, offering candidates the chance to win both party nominations for the November election.

Although it is rare, a candidate securing both party nominations through the primary could still be contested by a third party or individual.

There are also scattered primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides for municipal offices in the 73 townships, boroughs and city (Coatesville) in Chester County.

“Typically on a primary, in an odd election year, we expect voter turnout to be between 15 to 20 percent,” said Val DiGiorgio, chairman of the Chester County Republican Committee. “We do everything we can to get out all the Republicans we can.”

“As with every primary it is usually the faithful voters who come out to vote,” said Michelle Vaughn, chairwoman of the county’s Democratic Committee. “I anticipate we are going to have a good turnout for (Common Pleas), along with our school board candidates. There’s been a lot of energy and enthusiasm and in the primary I think there’s an opportunity for (Democratic) candidates to win on both ballots.” …

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email, PA Dem party, 5/20/13

Do you care about justice?

Tom Corbett controls the Governor’s Residence, the State House and the State Senate. But did you know Republicans also control all three of the high courts? We need to take that very seriously because issues we care about—Voter ID, gerrymandering, and where Marcellus shale wells can be drilled—all are appealed to the high courts.

Fifteen people sit on the Superior Court. Eleven of them are Republicans. One seat is up for election this year. It’s vital we win!

Our endorsed candidate, Judge Joe Waters, is the right candidate for the job.

Our Auditor General Eugene DePasquale endorsed Judge Waters, saying:

“Judge Waters serves his country. A Marine and retired Captain of Police, Judge Waters worked his way through college to graduate with honors and become a Fulbright Scholar. He teaches college and has served on the boards of many worthwhile charities. Because of his outstanding record and character, I am proud to endorse his candidacy for Superior Court.” (Read Auditor General DePasquale’s full endorsement here.)

Judge Joe Waters has other fine accomplishments, but can’t get them before the voters this fall unless he wins this primary, May 21st!

Judge Waters is recommended by the PA Bar Association and endorsed by the PA Democratic Party and by a wide range of Democratic groups.

But his most important endorsement is yet to come: your vote on Tuesday!

Joe is one of us. Please go vote for him. You won’t regret it!

Thanks,

PA Dems

By GINGER RAE DUNBAR, Daily Local News, 5/18/13

VALLEY — Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for a supervisors’s seat in Tuesday’s primary.
Joe Sciandra

Yolanda Beattie and Joe Sciandra are running for the Democratic nomination in Valley for a six-year term.
Yolanda Beattie….

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By MICHAEL P. RELLAHAN, Daily Local News, 5/11/13

Three men and a woman are seeking nominations in this month’s primary election to run for two seats on the Chester County Common Pleas Court bench.

Although all four candidates have cross-filed on both major party’s ballots, attorneys Julia Malloy-Good and Anthony Verwey had been endorsed by the county Democratic Committee, while Patrick Carmody and Jeffrey Sommer have been endorsed by the county Republican Committee.

Whoever is elected would fill a trial court position that carries a 10-year term. Common Pleas Court judges hear criminal, civil and family court cases while presiding over trials, guilty pleas or settlements between parties and deciding all manner of legal disputes and issues.

The four candidates bring with them unique legal backgrounds. Carmody is a veteran county prosecutor; Malloy-Good is a county hearing officer and former family court attorney; Sommer is a longtime civil attorney and partner in a West Chester law firm with experience in municipal law; and Verway partner is in another borough firm with a background that includes judicial and legal ethics litigation.

The winners of both parties’ primary elections will move on to the general election in November. Because of their ability to cross-file, candidates could conceivably win nomination in both party races and run on both ballots in the fall.

In recent interviews, all four candidates stressed their experience and their commitment to the community and public service as reasons why they should be nominated. …

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Letter by Nathaniel Smith, Daily Local News, 5/17/13

The article “Board hopefuls represent competing camps in primary,” printed in the May 13 Daily Local News, deals with a vital race in the May 21 primary but has some issues, as they say.

The print article says that the “Better Directions” slate of Ricky Swalm, Joyce Chester, Robin Kaliner, and Chris McCune “were endorsed by the Democratic committee, though they are all registered Republicans.”

There were two errors there: the Democratic committee does not “endorse” Republicans (and vice versa) and one of those four is a Democrat.

The online edition (under the title “8 West Chester school board hopefuls represent 2 slates“) changed that quote to:

“Chester, the only registered Democrat is endorsed by the Democratic committee. Though Swalm, Kaliner and McCune are registered Republicans, they received a recommendation from the committee, but cannot be fully endorsed.”

That is a lot better, but a candidate cannot be partly endorsed. The proper term, used by the Dem committee, is “supported.”

For further confusion, the bipartisan group just described and the other four candidates, representing the current board majority (with one substitution for an outgoing board member), are all cross-filed in the primary, meaning that all eight will appear on both ballots on May 21.

Why is this such a mess? Because the whole system of electing school boards is faulty in Pennsylvania–one of only three states to put board candidates on primary ballots. Such a vital community resource as public education should not be part of the business-as-usual political process….

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By SARA MOSQUEDA-FERNANDEZ, Daily Local News, 5/16/13

EAST CALN – Six cross filed candidates are vying for three possible seats on the Downingtown Area School District in this year’s primary contest on Tuesday.

The school district divides its seats into regions, and this year there are primary contests in Region 4, Region 6, and Region 8. All terms last four years. …

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Listen to podcast of 15-minute interview with Anthony Verwey, candidate for ChesCo Court of Common Pleas, by Bill Mason on WCHE, May 15, here.

by Brent Glasgow, Daily Local News, 5/16/13

Incumbent Gerard “Jerry” McGlone and challenger Dave Burton will see where they stand heading to November in next Tuesday’s Malvern Borough mayoral primary.

McGlone (R), a borough resident since 1998 seeking his fourth term, said he has been and will continue to be focused on the office’s main priority – Malvern’s police department.

Thirteen months ago, controversy gripped Malvern when it was discovered McGlone and the borough council were looking into the option of outsourcing the department to a neighboring township as a cost-cutting measure. As was the case then, McGlone said that it never went past the research phase.

“In my mind we were doing the right thing as leaders of the municipality to evaluate what was out there,” McGlone said. “In no way was I ever convinced that it was the right decision.”
RELATED ASSETS

With the recent hiring of Chief Lou Marcelli, McGlone likes where the department is currently and moving forward.

“I think we’re in a wonderful place right now with our arrangement,” McGlone said. “My commitment will always be to maintain the Malvern Police Department. I’ll do everything in power to make sure that doesn’t change.”

McGlone, a practice leader with Trion, said one of the biggest things on the borough’s horizon is the future of its industrial park.

“There’s a lot of property owners and people who’ve shown a lot of interest in doing some things up there,” McGlone said. “As a whole, we also want to create an atmosphere and encourage business owners to thrive, while attracting more to fill in along King Street.”

Burton (D) has lived in the borough for 43 years, and wants to bring his viewpoints and thoughts to the office.

“I’m not as busy now as I used to be, and I would like to give back to the community,” Burton said. “I feel I have a perspective having been here all that time, watching the borough grow and continue to grow.”

Burton, a teacher at the Concern Treatment Unit for Boys in Coatesville, said he has attended a lot of council meetings to learn about all of the borough’s issues. Like McGlone, he said the police force is at the top of the list.

“It seems to me that with the borough growing, the police force will be even more important,” Burton said.

Burton said he wants to pull from his own past managerial experience to benefit Malvern. …

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by Chris Barber, Daily Local News, 5/13/13

In the primary election for the Oxford Area School Board, cross-filing will make all the difference.

There are contested races for the Republican nomination for at-large, Region II and Region III seats. But everyone who filed for a place on the ballot could end up on the November election ballot if those who have cross-filed to run on the Democratic ballot as well earn those nominations.

Many of their positions were stated in the League of Women Voters’ guide to the primary….

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