Council President Thompson To Run For Yardley Mayor

YARDLEY, PA —Yardley Council President Caroline Thompson is stepping up to run for borough mayor.

Thompson —who has served for eight years on the council including the last few years as president —announced the Democratic slate of candidates for the May primary election to Patch.

See Patch for a separate story on the candidate slate.

She is running to replace Mayor Chris Harding, who is not seeking re-election. Harding served as Yardley's mayor for 12 years.

Yardley Councilman David Appelbaum also expressed interest in running for mayor.

He sent a statement to Bucks County Democratic Party leaders Karen Vanderlaan and Steve Santarsiero congratulating Thompson.

"I wanted to share that I've had a conversation with Caroline and extended my congratulations on her run for Mayor of Yardley Borough," Appelbaum said. "In the spirit of presenting a united front, and being fully committed and engaged in my role as a council member, I believe this decision is the best for the Democrats, and our town and gives Caroline the ability to run with fewer distractions. I appreciate your support as I continue to work to ensure that we improve the quality of life for our Yardley Borough residents, increase the economic impact for our businesses, and be a great place to live and destination for those who visit and work here."

Thompson works as an Intellectual Property and Brand Protection professional.

Thompson believes she has been a steady hand during times of transition.

She said she brings strong leadership and problem-solving-mediation skills to a role that oversees Yardley’s police force and emergency management services.

Her proven ability to maintain a fully staffed and effective council, despite unprecedented turnover, will be invaluable as police departments nationwide face labor shortages and budget constraints, Thompson said.