Joanne Phillips: Delaware County Council Candidate

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — The 2025 general election is nearly here, and county Democrats could lose their hold on the Delaware County Council.

Delaware County Controller Joanne Phillips is looking to ensure the council remains blue by running for a seat on the council.

Learn about her positions below:

Name: Joanne Phillips
Age: 67
Gender: Female
Location/Town: Middletown
Party: Democratic
Campaign website/social media: https://joanne4delcocouncil.co...

How do you plan to address residents' healthcare after the closing of Crozer's facilities?

We know how important health care is to the residents of Delaware County and I will be sure to fight for our residents' health care access everyday on Council. I think we need to work with our state and federal representatives to address a problem plaguing our communities. First, I will continue to work with existing efforts and tools we may to find ways for our residents to get the care they need. I will support our local county health department that has been on the front lines of helping residents with accurate information on resources and access health care. Second, I will work through all available channels to figure out how Council can play a role in bringing back more health care options to Delaware County.

Do you plan to address potential federal activities, namely Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actions, that may take place in Delaware County? If so, how?

On Council, I will absolutely address any potential federal activities as they relate to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We know that increased ICE activity hurts communities, in fact, making them less safe as residents fear calling law enforcement. I fully support Delaware County laws and law enforcement and the District Attorney's discretion but do not support the actions of ICE which are violating the rights of many, including American citizens being caught in the dragnet. I will always stand on the side of those law-abiding, tax paying immigrants who are here to find a better life for themselves and are stuck contending with a completely broken immigration system which doesn't allow them to get what they need to get on a pathway to citizenship.

Are the county's election systems safe and reliable? If not, what will be done to address the issue?

Yes, the county's election systems are safe and reliable and have been proven so through testing and independent review. That said, we must always perform due diligence to make sure they stay that way. Free and fair elections are the backbone of a healthy democracy and casting doubt on our systems only seeks to divide, confuse, and hurt our residents. I am proud of the access our residents have to voting locations and voter drop boxes -- as Americans we should always focus on expanding voting access to those eligible and doing what we can to increase voter participation.

How do you plan to tackle Delaware County's issue via bipartisanship amid growing political division?

The national narrative of growing political division is a sad story for our country. While often blown out of proportion, you can see the problem in corners of Delaware County, often fueled by misinformation. I think most people long for a time when we could share ideas but also disagree. I work with, am friendly with, and yes, even talk politics with, many Republicans in a rational, calm, and productive way. And what I've learned from these experiences is that we generally want the same things for our families and government, and we agree a lot more than we disagree. As I have throughout my career, I will listen and work with anyone who has good ideas but I will never go against my principles or values that we are a nation of laws and need to be fair. On Council, I welcome anyone or any political persuasion to come to Council meetings to rationally and civilly discuss how we can make the county work better together.

What direction do you see the newly formed Human Relations Commission taking?

I believe that nobody in Delaware County should be discriminated against and the potential forthcoming ordinance that protects against discrimination can help fill gaps. The Human Relations Commission itself must also be established in a way that achieves that goal in a cost-effective and sustainable way so that taxpayers and residents get the fairness they seek without being bogged down in costly legal proceedings and frivolous complaints. I look forward to being part of the discussion on Council about how we serve our residents effectively.