Memorable and Historic Election Day in Chester County

Historic Election in West Chester

Tuesday’s Municipal election in West Chester will be remembered for several reasons. It was a day marked by a significant voting error that affected non-major party voters, who were required to cast provisional ballots. Additionally, the election saw an unusually high voter turnout. However, it also made history, as it featured the first openly transgender mayor in Pennsylvania.

Democrat Erica Deuso won the mayoral race with 1,664 votes, securing 64 percent of the vote compared to Republican Rich Bryant's 910 votes, which accounted for 35 percent. This victory makes Deuso the first openly transgender mayor in the state of Pennsylvania, marking a significant milestone in local politics.

The overall voter turnout for the 2025 Municipal Election reached 47.7 percent, which is significantly higher than the 38.8 percent seen in the 2021 election and the 31.8 percent in 2017. With all 230 precincts counted, there were 184,190 ballots cast as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday. This included 132,025 voters who cast their ballots on Election Day, along with 52,165 absentee and mail-in ballots. An unknown number of provisional ballots were still being processed due to a ballot glitch.

Chester County has 385,849 registered voters. On Election Day, Voter Services discovered that 75,076 registered third-party voters, including Independents, Libertarians, and those registered as “No Affiliation” or “Non-Partisan,” were not listed in the poll books at any of the 230 polling precincts. Despite this issue, these voters were still able to cast their ballots by filling out provisional ballots through judges of elections stationed at the polls. No one was turned away, and the polls remained open until 10 p.m. due to the confusion.

Key Race Results

Several other races were decided on Tuesday, with Democrats maintaining their dominance in most positions:

• Clerk of Courts: Democrat Caroline Bradley led with 113,667 votes (62 percent), defeating Alissa McGrory with 68,883 votes (38 percent).
• Controller: Dem Nick Cherubino secured 112,771 votes (62 percent) against Republican Joseph Lorusso, who received 69,635 votes (38 percent).
• Coroner: Dem Sophia Garcia-Jackson won with 113,813 votes (63 percent), while Republican Thomas Hatzidais received 68,138 votes (37 percent).
• Prothonotary: Democrat Alex Christy took 113,244 votes (62 percent), beating Christopher Thomson with 68,645 votes (38 percent).
• Treasurer: Dem Patricia Maisano earned 110,963 votes (62 percent), compared to 68,263 votes (38 percent) for Rep Dena Wang.
• Judge of the Commonwealth Court: Dem Stella Tsai gained 114,407 votes (63 percent), while Rep Matt Wolford received 68,319 votes (37 percent).
• Judge of the Court of the Common Pleas: Democrats Mackenzie Smith (35 percent) and Clay Cauley (27 percent) topped Republicans Neill Kling (19 percent) and Betty Ryberg (18 percent).

In the West Chester Borough, the only competitive race was for the 1st Ward of Borough Council. Jerry Szczepaniak received 831 votes (74 percent), while Republican John McDonald garnered 299 votes (26 percent). The remaining wards had unopposed candidates, including incumbent Brian McGinnis, newcomer Stephen Marvin, and Lisa Kearns.

Reactions from Winners and Losers

Deuso expressed gratitude for the support she received and emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration. She also highlighted the significance of being the first openly transgender mayor in Pennsylvania, stating that her election serves as a reminder of the progress possible in communities.

Bryant conceded the race, acknowledging the outcome with humility and respect for the democratic process. He praised the campaign’s focus on community service and integrity, despite the result.

Other Local Races

In Kennett Square, Democrat Matthew Fetick won the mayoral race with 61 percent of the vote (883 votes), while Republican Leon Spencer Jr. received 39 percent (566 votes). In Malvern, Republican Mayor Zeyn Uzman was likely unseated by Democrat Peter Papadopoulos, who secured 64 percent of the vote (900 votes).

In West Chester, Democratic Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste was reelected with 92 percent of the vote (3,894 votes), while Republican Vince Range received 8 percent (325 votes) as a write-in candidate. Range described his campaign as a symbolic effort to ensure neighborhood voices are heard in planning discussions.

In East Goshen Township, Democrats Ann Dufield and Larry Massaro outperformed Republicans Michele Truitt and John Hertzog. In East Bradford, Democrat Debbie Maynard defeated long-time Republican Supervisor John Snook. In West Goshen, Democrat Ashley Gagne held off Republican challenger Brandon Drobenak.

At least 66 percent of voters supported retaining Kevin Dougherty, David Wecht, and Christine Donohue. Court of Common Pleas Judge Allison Bell Royer received 74 percent "Yes" votes for retention.