Montco's Neil Makhija, Jamila Winder, Tom DiBello Announce Reelection Campaigns

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County's three county commissioners office, Democrats Neil Makhija and Jamila Winder and Republican Tom DiBello, all announced their intention to run for re-election in 2027 this week.

Makhija and Winder, who have rotated turns as chair of the board in recent election cycles, made a joint announcement.

Subscribe

"It's hard to believe it has been nearly 4 years since we embarked on our first campaign together," the pair's statement Thursday read. "Since then, we've watched chaos unfold at the national level. Meanwhile, our county government has remained a source of strength and pride to our residents."

On Sunday, DiBello announced a fundraiser for this 2027 campaign, a comedy event at SoulJoel's at Sunnybrook. It's set for Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.

The trio of Makhija, Winder, and DiBello have ushered in a different, far less contentious style of politics in their first full four-year term in office.

They don't agree on everything. But where they can, when they can, the trio issue mutual support for a variety of policy issues that have defined the county over the past few years.

"Wins we're most proud of include opening 3 new shelters for homeless residents, breaking ground on a first of its kind 24/7 emergency mental health center, passing the first unanimous, bipartisan budget in nearly a decade, and setting a standard in county government for how we act as an employer," Makhija said.

Just a year before the 2023 election, none of the three were in county leadership. DiBello a Limerick Township supervisor, Makhija a Penn professor, and Winder an East Norriton supervisor.

But longtime chair Val Arkoosh was chosen by new Gov. Josh Shapiro to head his Health and Human Services campaign, leading to Winder's induction. Ken Lawrence announced his retirement from the post a few months later, and Republican Joe Gale lost the GOP primary a few months after that, paving the way for DiBello's election.

Liz Ferry accompanied DiBello on the Republican ticket in 2023 election. The two ran a friendly, coordinated campaign, though it always felt inevitable only one Republican would win a seat on the three person board.

It's not yet clear who, if anyone, will appear on the Republican ballot alongside DiBello next year, or if Makhija and Winder will face any primary challenge.