You might think Chadds Ford is a very Republican town. To the surprise of many, it’s really not. Chadds Ford is actually a very “purple” town, in the sense that we reflect a mixed body of political leanings that blend together to form something “purply” and less bright red or blue.

As of 2025, Township voter registration in our township is about:

45% Republican
20% Independent
35% Democratic

Recent election results suggest Chadds Ford leans more Democratic than even its registration figures imply.

Let’s go through some examples.

November 2025

In November 2025, Democrats won the only two competitive elections for local positions, both for Inspector of Elections in their respective precincts (Chadds Ford Northeast and Chadds Ford Southwest).

In last November’s non-competitive municipal elections (auditor, tax collector, supervisor), about 40% of voters chose not to vote at all rather than select the single incumbent option on the ballot. That’s not a great indication of voter satisfaction with the status quo, and it’s certainly not an indicator that the town is solidly aligned with the party in power.

The November 2025 election carried the weight of failures at the national level, so Democrats appeared to have some wind in their sails from disapproval of Trump et al. Let’s go back to 2024, when Republicans seemed to have a tailwind from national sentiment, for another perspective.

November 2024

Here are the electoral results for Chadds Ford precincts for a handful of elections from the November 2024 election:

President: Harris-D (1,383 votes) defeats Trump-R (1,179 votes)
US Senator: Casey-D (1,334) defeats McCormick-R (1,202)
Attorney General: Dave Sunday-R (1,310) defeats Eugene DePaquale-D (1,198)
State Treasurer: Stacy Garrity-R (1,299) defeats Erin McClelland-D (1,210)
US House Rep: Mary Gay Scanlon-D (1,354) defeats Alfeia Goodwin-R (1,219)
PA Senator: John Kane-D (1,310) defeats Mike Woodin-R (1,248)
PA House Rep: Craig Williams-R (1,277) defeats Elizabeth Moro-D (1,267)

These races are super close, and Democrats won several races in Chadds Ford, even as the country turned overall toward the Republican ticket. It’s also a reflection of how people in our community (and Pennsylvania more broadly) split their tickets and aren’t as hyperpartisan as the media suggests.

I’m not suggesting Chadds Ford is some Democratic hotbed. It’s not. But it’s not a Republican stronghold either. And our local representation should reflect this purple mix. But they don’t. Why?

I’m sure there are lots of reasons, but a few obvious reasons stand out to me.

More people need to run for something

Very few Democrats run for local elected office. If Democrats want their views to be more proportionately represented in local government (which decides a lot of things about everyday life), they need to step up and put their names on ballots.

In 2025, two Democrats (Sheree Petrone and Luci Jankowski McClure) ran for Inspector of Elections positions and won. Petrone and McClure received 55% and 62% of the votes, respectively. Those are decisive wins, especially for McClure, who secured a 2:1 voter margin.

P.S. Independents can run too, but election laws make this a much more difficult undertaking.

Competitive elections are good for everyone

There are no municipal elections in 2026, but there will be elected positions opening in Chadds Ford local offices in 2027. Now’s the time for prospective candidates to get curious about representing their neighbors in local office.

No matter your party, competitive elections are good for constituents. They force elected officials to be forthcoming about their positions on matters important to the community and hold them accountable for following through on those promises. If you’re a Chadds Ford Republican and want a competitive election, run in the primary!

To be clear, I’m advocating for respectable competitive elections that focus on policy and integrity, not campaigns dripping in slander, lies, and dark money.

Moreover, being an elected official requires thick skin and adaptability. Elected officials will always be disappointing someone. Sometimes, personal friends and neighbors will be most upset. This is the nature of the position. And it is the public’s job to critique the work of elected officials.

We need elected leaders with enough emotional resilience to withstand criticism. Shedding tears on the dais over hurt feelings is not helpful.

A competitive election shows voters which candidates can distinguish between harsh critiques of decisions made in office and personal attacks that undermine constructive governance. The competitive nature of an election shows that candidates can operate effectively despite, and sometimes in response to, regular pushback.

We need elected officials with enough confidence and tenacity to stay the course when it’s in the community’s best interest, yet also shift gears when presented with compelling reasons to adjust. Fair, competitive elections draw bare who is sturdy enough to do this and who is not.

Appointed positions in Chadds Ford are deeply partisan

Beyond elected officials, Chadds Ford Township operations are heavily influenced by a slate of appointed officials that serve on committees and as liaisons for different projects and initiatives.

An informal analysis of appointed officials in Chadds Ford Township shows that the registration of appointed officials bears no resemblance to the distribution of constituent registrations or recent voting history. Of appointed officials in the township, there are about:

92% Republicans
4% Independents
4% Democrats

With additional context, this allocation is generous. There are two Democrats. One was appointed to the Open Space committee by the Brandywine Conservancy, so I’m not sure how much say the township had in that choice.

I am the other registered Democrat, and I serve as the appointed Board Member for the Rachel Kohl Library. The library recommended me for the position back in 2017 after it had been vacant for some time. I have no connection to or influence over township management or operations in that role.

If we believe in democratic representation, those allocations should be much more aligned with how Chadds Ford citizens register and vote.

Doesn’t everyone do this partisan poppycock?

Someone is gonna say, “Oh well. Everyone else does it this way, too. Government officials always appoint their friends to open positions. Blah, blah, blah.”

So what about everyone else? Why can’t Chadds Ford choose to be better? Why can’t we take the high road and lead by example? Why can’t we set the precedent and act above party lines? We don’t even have Elon Musk or Peter Thiel breathing down our necks with their billions to influence government decisions.

There’s a lot of chatter about running government more efficiently, like a business. Having a process, rooted in integrity, to select appointed officials would be a great place to do that. The best-run companies have robust hiring practices and diversify their management teams.

This party-line poppycock creates barriers to cross-party alliances and prevents deep work between broader community partners. It fractures coalitions and promotes tribalism over collaboration. It’s inefficient and ineffective.

Party-driven politics limits our line of sight. It causes us to miss important perspectives and make decisions based on bad or incomplete information. I’m certain our Board of Supervisors is relying on a small group of residents to understand the ‘vibe’ of public opinion. At best, they hear their friends and those who speak up at public meetings; that’s a tiny contingent. Let’s be more curious than that.

Simply by having a more diverse group of elected and appointed officials (ideological, age, neighborhood, etc.), we gain a broader perspective on what residents want for the community, possible solutions to problems, and who can help in a crunch.

We might not be able to change Washington, DC, or even Harrisburg today. But there are only 4,000 people in this town. We can be better now.

We can diversify the voices on the township committees as soon as the next position opens up. We can ensure open, public processes to identify and select future township committee members, so everyone feels they have a seat at the table. I know people from across the political spectrum (R, I, and D) who want this for Chadds Ford.

For those interested, appointed committee positions are great learning grounds for eventually running for office. In a purple town, shouldn’t the Board of Supervisors be represented by a mix of parties to reflect the community? Imagine how much broader and more representative our township meetings and decisions would become if we had at least one Republican and one Democrat on the three-person Board of Supervisors. We have lots of Independents in our township. The third supervisor could be an Independent (wouldn’t that be fancy and first-rate).

Ya know what happens when leadership represents a broader swath of our community? We have more eyes on what people need and want. We benefit from diverse ways of thinking and seeing to measure the community’s heartbeat.

We have more accountability among local leadership. We have additional connections to reach out to help when the township is in a pinch.

So what can you do?

Attend township meetings (you can also watch them on Zoom or request recordings from the township administration for later viewing). Get engaged and find out what’s going on. Find an issue that resonates and dig in.

Talk to your neighbors about local issues, even if they disagree. Ask questions and get curious. Don’t seek to change their minds, but hope you each walk away with a new perspective to consider. You’ll likely find out that neither of you fits squarely into the jackets and pantsuits political parties want you to wear.

Volunteer for a committee. Hopefully, they will have an open process to ensure the best candidate is selected and that all interested parties have a fair opportunity to offer their skills and perspectives to the township. Currently, there appears to be little to no process, leaving a significant opportunity for improvement. There’s also a vacancy on the UCC board of appeals, according to the township website. If you’re qualified, ask to fill the position.

Last but not least … if you can stomach it, run for something! It’s a little scary, and not for everyone. I totally get it. But if you’re even the least bit inclined or curious about it, you are likely the perfect candidate to run in the next election.

I believe in representative government. A purple town should have a purple distribution of elected and appointed officials at its helm. We need more people to step up and run for office, and we need engaged residents to support those campaigns.

We ought to have a transparent process for soliciting and seating township committee members that considers qualifications and experience. Appointed committee positions should go to the most qualified applicants, not just the hubbies and besties of the ladies who lunch.

We determine the future of our township, and we should include everyone, not just those who hang with the ‘in’ crowd. Bipartisan (or multi-partisan!) township leadership that reflects our community best serves all of us. Let’s usher in a purple wave that includes representation for all of our wonderful neighbors.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about any or all of it. What did I miss? What do you hope to see for the future of municipal government leadership in Chadds Ford?