Horsham Republican Party Chairman Passes Gavel After 38 years

There’s a new man in town calling the shots for the Horsham Republican Party. Committeeman Anthony Spangler, 35, was recently appointed to fill the seat held by Bill Donnelly since 1976.

“It’s time for someone else to step in,” Donnelly said. “There comes a time when you have to pass the gavel.”

That time officially came during the June meeting of the Horsham Republican Committee, when the committeemen and committeewomen voted Spangler in for a four-year term as Donnelly’s successor.

Spangler, a Lancaster County native, got his first taste of politics as an eight year old, while door-knocking with his father’s as he campaigned for a seat on the Donegal School District Board of Directors.

“That was what sparked my interest,” Spangler said. “School board isn’t president of the United States, but (my father) was able to affect the local community for the better.”

And Spangler, who works in Lansdale as a financial planner, said he hopes to do the same for Horsham Township.

“A lot of people say their vote doesn’t count,” he said, noting several recent ties in local elections. “These are the races that truly do count.”

Local elected officials are the ones who, after all, control property taxes, have a say in traffic improvements and developments and ultimately impact Hatboro and Horsham children’s education, Spangler said.

Moving forward, Spangler said he intends to be more proactive in reaching out to younger voters and the non-traditional base.

For Donnelly, who said he’s proudest of the township’s growth and prosperity with a state-of-the-art library, new police station, an abundance of parks and open space – all while maintaining a 1 mill tax rate – what lies ahead for the Horsham Republican Party is not his say anymore.

“He’s got to guide it in a way he thinks it should go,” Donnelly said of Spangler. “It’s his baby.”

For more information on the Horsham Republican Party visit www.horshamrepublicans.com.