Democrats Sweep Chester County Commissioner, DA, Sheriff Races

WEST CHESTER, PA — Democrats are projected to take control of the Chester County Board of Commissioners, winning two of the three seats to flip it blue for the first time in years.

Education leader Marian Moskowitz and Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell will take two seats on the board, winning a decisive victory, according to unofficial results. It was one of several huge victories for Democrats around Chester County Tuesday.

The projected victory ousts Terence Farrell from the board. Incumbent Michelle Kichline won the third minority seat on the board.

>>Deb Ryan Wins Chesco District Attorney's Race: Unofficial Results

No Democrat victory in Chester County had a greater margin than that of Deb Ryan, who won the District Attorney's race over Michael Noone by just under 14,000 votes, unofficial results show.

Ryan is the first Democrat and the first woman to be Chester County DA in history.

"Thank you for making me the first Democrat and first woman District Attorney in Chester County history," she said in a statement Tuesday night. "I am deeply honored. Thank you for embracing the message of Victims First and Justice for All. I look forward to stepping into this role in January 2020. Until then, my humble gratitude."

>>Fredda Maddox Is Projected To Be Chester County's New Democratic Sheriff

Fredda Maddox also won a decisive victory in the sheriff's race, defeating Republican Jim Fitzgerald by more than 7,000 votes.

Both Ryan and Maddox will replace long-standing incumbent Republicans who decided to retire before the election: Sheriff Carolyn 'Bunny' Welsh and DA Tom Hogan.

Democrats were the projected winners of every county level race, including:

• Judge of the Superior Court: Democrats Amanda Green-Hawkins and Daniel D. McCaffery
• Judge of the Court of Common Pleas: Democrats Analisa Sondergaard and Bret Binder
• Prothonotary: Democrat Debbie Bookman
• Register of Wills: Democrat Michelle Vaughn
• Recorder of Deeds: Democrat Chris Pielli

While the victories for the left are perhaps not as surprising as the 2018 "blue wave" wins which saw several state legislative races in the county get flipped to the Democrats for the first time in history, the election Tuesday was nonetheless telling.

Updates from the county commissioner's race as it unfolded Tuesday night are included below:

11:50 p.m.

Democrats have won two seats, with Kichline narrowly holding onto the third minority seat, according to unofficial results:

• Moskowitz (D): 70,842
• Maxwell (D): 68,914
• Kichline (R): 63,779
• Farrell (R): 62,287

10:56 p.m.

Democrats are well on their way to a convincing sweep of major races across Chester County. With 197 of 228 precincts reporting, Moskowitz and Maxwell are pulling out of reach. Kichline has extended her lead over Farrell:

• Moskowitz (D): 58,606
• Maxwell (D): 57,055
• Kichline (R): 52,679
• Farrell (R): 51,499

10:21 p.m.

The race is more than halfway over, with 138 of 228 precincts now reporting. There is a tiny bit of separation between the candidates, but they remain in the same order:

• Moskowitz (D): 39,316
• Maxwell (D): 38,445
• Kichline (R): 33,425
• Farrell (R): 32,693

The separation between Kichline and Maxwell is irrelevant, because the top three win. The more intriguing race at this point is between the incumbents Farrell and Kichline; as things now stand, one with stay on the board, and one will be ousted.

10:01 p.m.

With 85 of 228 precincts reporting, here's how things are shaking out:

• Moskowitz (D): 24,320
• Maxwell (D): 23,584
• Kichline (R): 20,452
• Farrell (R): 19,991

9:42 p.m.

Democrats maintain their narrow lead with 45 of 228 precincts reporting:

• Moskowitz (D): 11,568
• Maxwell (D): 11,222
• Kichline (R): 9,722
• Farrell (R): 9,722

9 p.m.

With five precincts reporting at 9 p.m., Democrats Marian Moskowitz (1,437) and Josh Maxwell (1,382) hold early leads over Republicans Michelle Kichline (1,258) and Terence Farrell (1,209).

8:40 p.m.

Polls officially closed in Pennsylvania at 8 p.m., and a tally of votes is underway.

As of 8:40 p.m., no Chester County precincts had yet reported results.

Return to Patch for results as they come in. Subscribe to free news alert for election results.

A link to an overview of the race, including profiles for all four candidates and key issues facing the new board, is included below:

>>2019 Election Preview: Chester County Commissioners Race

The Commissioners race pit two experienced incumbent Republicans, Terence Farrell and Michelle Kichline, against a pair of Democratic newcomers: local education and nonprofit leader Marian Moskowitz, and Downingtown's 34-year-old mayor Josh Maxwell.

Residents cast votes for two candidates for the three-person board.

After several surprising victories in historically red Chester County in the 2018 midterms, Democrats came into the 2019 election with some optimism that long held-GOP offices like Sheriff, District Attorney, and the county Board of Commissioners might be vulnerable.