Democratic State Committee Election

The Democratic State Committee is the governing body of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania.  State Committee meets three times each year to elect party leadership, hold endorsement conventions for state-wide candidates, pass and promote a party platform, and help lead organizing efforts to elect Democrats across the Commonwealth. The current chair of PA Dems is Eugene DePasquale, former Auditor General and state legislator.

The State Committee members are elected for four-year terms to represent Democratic voters within each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Representation is proportional to the number off Democratic voters in a county. Chester County Democrats have ten seats out of a total of roughly 350 seats on State Committee. The state committee selection takes place during the Primary Election of gubernatorial campaign years like 2026.
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As shown on the left, the May 19 Democratic Primary sample ballot lists 14 candidates for State Committee, six men and eight women. The result of the election will be five new female members and five new members for State Committee. The 14 candidates for State Committee are all active members of Chesco Dems. Some (Johnston-Pugh, Valyo, McGinnis, Gerling, Kowerdovich, O’Dwyer, Phifer, Frank, and Chaudri) are incumbent or former members of State Committee.

The  five male candidates listed on the sample ballot with bubbles colored black were endorsed for election to State Committee by the Chester County Democratic Committee (CCDC) at its convention on February 17. Four female candidates were also endorsed. The CCDC convention could not agree on an endorsement for a fifth female candidate. Some local committees within Chesco Dems have endorsed one of the remaining female candidates, but others, including WTB Dems, have made no further endorsement leaving the choice in the hands of Democratic voters.
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If WTB voters follow CCDC’s recommendations for the five male and four female State Committee candidates on the sample ballot, there remains one additional choice to identify a fifth female candidate from among candidates Valyo, O’Dwyer, A. Lahm and Frank. As noted, all four of these candidates are active participants within Chesco Dems. Valyo is completing her term as chair of Chester County Democrats. O’Dwyer was recently elected as the Chester County Recorder of Deeds. A. Lahm is a member of the West Chester school board.  Frank is a former Chesco Dems officer and a frequent campaign manager for local office seekers.

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