2023 Chester County Commissioners Race

CHESTER COUNTY, PA —Two Republicans and two Democrats are competing in the 2023 General Election for three seats on the Chester County Board of Commissioners.

The polls have closed and the votes are being tallied in the Chester County Services Center.

Patch will provide updates on the results as they come in. There are over 30,000 mail-in votes being counted.

The three-member board is made up of two members from the majority party, which is currently Democratic, and one member from the minority party, which is Republican.

Both Democratic incumbents, Josh Maxwell and Marian Moskowitz, were seeking re-election.

Two Republican candidates Eric Roe, 35, a former state representative, and David Sommers, 48, a social studies teacher, were running for seats on the board.

Keep checking back for updated results.

Chester County commissioners earn an annual salary of $86,389 and serve a four-year term.

The commissioners are responsible for overseeing a $613 million annual budget. They oversee the county prison, nursing home, parks and other county facilities.

During the campaign, the two Democrats spoke about transportation improvements and preserving green space. The Republican candidates focused on limited government and fiscal responsibility.

The candidates

David Sommers, Republican

Sommers is a social studies teacher at Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown.

He was a former legislative representative for the Association of Catholic Teachers Local 1776 and a Republican committeeman for West Goshen Township Area 20.
Sommers said he believes in public service and will advocate for fiscally sound, conservative, limited government, Republican policies.
“I will work to preserve the historic character and natural beauty of Chester County for all who live and work here and the next generation,” he said.

Eric Roe, Republican

Roe represented District 158 in the state House, which covers nine municipalities in southern Chester County, for two years.
Roe of West Bradford Township is employed as a client service manager at a financial firm in Downingtown. He worked as an administrative analyst for Commissioner Michele Kichline.
He also worked in a Homeland Security consulting firm, and for nonprofits. He is fluent in Spanish and French and held a town hall in Spanish.
Roe earned a bachelor of arts degree from American University, Washington, D.C., where he studied political science. He earned a master’s degree in public policy from University College of London.
Roe said he wants to make it more affordable to live in Chester County while preserving landscapes and preventing over-development. Roe and his wife, Alice, reside in West Bradford Township.

Josh Maxwell, Democrat

Maxwell, 39, a lifelong resident of Chester County, previously served as mayor of Downingtown.

As mayor, he oversaw economic improvements, including an Amtrak/SEPTA train station.
He was elected county commissioner in 2019, taking office in 2020.
Maxwell, vice chairman of the commissioners, said his priorities included the county’s first employee group on Equity Diversion and Inclusion; a groundbreaking, community-centered budgeting process; creating a mental health unit, and numerous climate change and open space initiatives.

Marian Moskowitz, Democrat

Marian Moskowitz of Malvern was elected commissioner in 2019, taking office in 2020. She is the chairwoman of the board.

She is secretary of the board of the West Chester University Council of Trustees. In 2021, former Gov. Tom Wolf re-appointed Moskowitz to the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania System of Higher Education.
Moskowitz is a member of the Colonial Theater, Phoenixville; People’s Light Theater, Malvern; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority; and the Schuylkill River Transportation Authority.