Delco District Attorney Race: What You Need To Know

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — On Nov. 5, voters in Delaware County will decide who leads the county's crime fighting team.

Voters will choose either incumbent District Attorney Katayoun Copeland, a Republican, or her Democratic challenger Jack Stollsteimer.

Copeland was sworn in the to DA's office after being appointed in January 2018. Copeland took over for Jack Whelan, who won a seat on the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas.

Her tenure has led to many a conviction and handled very high profile cases.

Notably, Copeland has cracked down on straw purchases of gun under the Brad Fox law and also taken on the Herculean task of combating the opioid epidemic.

Prior to taking over as Delco DA, Copeland served with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia in its Narcotics and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and was in the Delaware County DA's office for 19 years with its drug task force and criminal terrorism unit.

She attended the Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr College and Temple University's Beasley School of Law before launching her decades-long legal career.

Copeland's policies include supporting Marsy's Law (which is a ballot measure vote on Nov. 5), investigating the Mariner Pipeline to protect the environment, protecting vulnerable seniors and children, and cracking down on guns, drugs, and gangs. See her policies here.

As for Stollsteimer, he also has experience in Delco's legal sphere.

He previously served as an intern in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office then was chosen as an Assistant Delaware County District Attorney prosecuting criminals in juvenile and adult criminal courts after earning his law degree from Temple.

He also worked in the U.S. Department of Justice and was subsequently appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell chose Stollsteimer as Pennsylvania’s Safe Schools Advocate for the Philadelphia School District, a watch dog-type role that kept an eye on violence reporting in the district.

Stollsteimer is a graduate of St. Denis in Havertown and attended Archbishop Carroll before graduating from Ridley Senior High School.

Some of Stollsteimer's policies include ending private prisons, reforming the cash bail system, bolstering the county's drug treatment court, creating a county health department, and more. See his policies here.

Stollsteimer's campaign has been supported in part by billionaire George Soros, who backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, according to campaign finance reports.

Polls are open form 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Not sure where to vote? Find your polling place here.