Vote Count 'Substantially Complete' In West Chester Races

WEST CHESTER, PA — The ballot count is "substantially complete" in West Chester races as Chester County issued its latest update.

Chesco voter turnout was 38 percent in Pennsylvania's 2021 Municipal General Election, according to Chester County Voter Services. On Thursday morning, just over 39,118 of 40,781 mail-in votes had been counted and added to Tuesday's in-person vote count.

By Friday afternoon, no further update had been provided. The reporting website noted that with 1,663 votes remaining to be reported, the count was "substantially complete."

Here are the updates in West Chester races:

West Chester Area School District School Directors

In the West Chester Area School District's three Regions represented on the Board of School Directors, eight-year incumbent Joyce Chester was 26 percentage points ahead of Region 1 challenger Ada Nestor as Chester County Voter Services issued its latest update.

Region 1 includes West Chester Borough and parts of West Goshen Township. Chester, a Democrat, 5,339 votes reported on Thursday. Republican Nestor had 3,121 in the same reported count.

Region 2 includes East Goshen and West Whiteland townships. Candidates for the open Region 2 Board seat were Democrat Karen Fleming and Brian R. Gallen, a Republican.

By midday Thursday, Fleming had 5,979 votes to Gallen's 5,129, a lead of 7 percentage points by Fleming.

Region 3 includes East Bradford Township and Thornbury township in Chester County, as well as Thornbury Township in Delaware County, Westttown Township, and parts of West Goshen Township.

Four candidates were listed on Region 3 ballots for two open seats. The Democratic candidates were Laura Detre and Carrie R. Stare. Current WCASD Board President Chris McCune and Stacey Whomsley ran as Republicans in Region 3.

In the most recent update, Detre was leading with 4,324 votes. Close behind Detre was Whomsley with 4,047 votes. McCune had 3,666 votes as of Thursday, and Stare was only 60 votes behind with 3,606.

The West Chester Area School District has more than 12,000 students and serves about 4,000 non-public students in the 75 square miles the District covers in Chester County. The district is comprised of West Chester Borough and the surrounding townships of East Goshen, West Goshen, East Bradford, West Whiteland, Westtown, and Thornbury in Chester County, as well as Thornbury Township in Delaware County.

Mayor of West Chester Borough
Democrat Lillian DeBaptiste outpaced two other candidates in the race for Mayor of West Chester Borough. DeBaptiste ran against Libertarian candidate Beth Ann Rosica and Eric R. Lorgus, an Independent whose party is listed as "Liberty for All."

In Thursday's early vote-count update, DeBaptiste had 2,103 votes to Rosica's 542. Lorgus had 656.

Democratic candidates were listed in West Chester Borough's 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th wards, but none of those races were contested. Lisa Dorsey ran in the 7th Ward and got 575 votes, Sheila Vaccaro in the 5th Ward had 246 votes, Brian J. McGinnis in the 3rd Ward had 449 votes, and Patrick McCoy in the 1st Ward garnered 630 votes.

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