Rachael Bollens Becomes First Woman Elected Mayor Of Lansdale: What To Know

LANSDALE, PA — Lansdale voters have overwhelmingly chosen Councilwoman Rachael Bollens as the borough's next mayor, one of a number of resounding victories for Democrats a year after President Trump made significant gains for the right in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Bollens defeated former mayor, Republican Andy Skekely, by a tally of 3,457 to 1,656, more than doubling his vote total.

She is the first woman ever elected mayor of Lansdale.

Election Night Coverage: Lansdale Elects New Mayor

"I’ve known Rachael since she was crucial in my re-election of 2020 as my campaign manager," State Rep. Steve Malagari said Wednesday. "When she was asked to run for Council in 2021, she rose to the task and got to work. Now as Mayor, she will lead and guide, bringing her lived experience and born and raised Lansdale eye to our Mayor’s office, and I cannot wait to get to work with her and her Council colleagues."

Outgoing Mayor Gary Herbert, also a Democrat, ran unopposed in 2021. In 2017, he beat Szekely by a much smaller margin 1,446 to 1,270. It's difficult to say whether Bollens managed to appeal to a much broader base, was the beneficiary of a larger pendulum swing against the first year of the second Trump administration, or if even more factors were at play.

"You broke the glass ceiling and it’s a bright sky above," Malagari added.

Regardless, the councilwoman's enormous victory in what was thought to be a close race upended perceptions about the Lansdale area electorate. It came on a night where the North Penn and Wissahickon school board elections, two other local races that many analysts and local political leaders expected to be close, were also won in Democratic blowouts.

Skekely thanked supporters in a statement, and said that he hoped his campaign had brought renewed focus on key issues.

"I'd like to thank everyone for their support," Szekely said. "I was truly humbled during my campaign. We may not have won but at least we brought attention to the Borough's finances-- which will be revealed at tonight's Administration and Finance Committee meeting-- and to the homelessness in Lansdale's parks. I hope and pray for the best for Lansdale."

Outgoing Mayor Herbert also congratulated Bollens.

"Over the last several months Rachael and I have been knocking doors and talking about her vision for our community," Herbert said. "I am thrilled that she will have a chance to bring it to life as our next Mayor and it is, truly, my honor to have the opportunity to work alongside her as a councilperson."