Maxwell completes Center for Excellence in County Leadership program

Josh Maxwell
WEST CHESTER — Chester County Board of Commissioners’ Vice Chair Josh Maxwell has completed the Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL) program, a premier professional development curriculum administered by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP).
The training included intense classes in leadership style, managerial versatility, interpersonal dynamics,...
Endorsements: Maxwell, Truitt and Rzucidlo for State House

If you think everything in our commonwealth is fine — you have simple choices in Tuesday’s state legislative elections. Returning your local representative will continue the policy and politics we’ve seen for a number of years now.
For the rest of us, who see the state lurching from financial crisis to financial crisis, see alleged “fiscal conservatives” run up the state’s credit card like...
The Trumpocalypse hits home

Meanwhile, local candidates gather and talk issues thoughtfully
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Well, that was a week to be proud of in politics, right?
As Donald Trump continues to loom over the election of down ballot candidates much as he did over Hillary Clinton during last Sunday night’s town hall forum — frankly, all it needed was slasher movie music to make it perfect — it seems likely...
The silliest of silly seasons cranks up

Playing the Walker ‘blame game’ and hijinks in the Sixth race
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
It’s just one month until election day and the gloves have come off, from dueling ads (of questionable veracity at times), protests, endorsements, temper tantrums and worst of all: the lawyers have been unleashed.
So, in other words, it’s a pretty typical October, when politics goes from...
Numbers, both in polls and finance reports tell a story

While Corbett’s numbers suggest a Democratic opportunity, can they raise enough $$ to take advantage?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Not to beat a dead horse, but there are even more bad poll numbers this week to make even the stoutest of Republicans more than a tad worried about not just the fate of Gov. Tom Corbett, but whether an electoral tsunami could hurt down-ballot candidates, but...
Primary aftermath: Dinniman comes out the big winner

The state senator was not on the ballots, but he emerged as county’s top Democrat
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
While most primary elections in non-presidential years are kind of ho-hum events, Tuesday’s elections turned out to be more revealing than expected, and at minimum give us some hint of what is to come in November.
Not shockingly, turnout was lousy, especially on the Republican...
Maxwell, Walker, Houghton win primaries

Wolf landslide seen as tempering Democratic turnout
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
A number of closely watched races from the governor down to local state legislative races thought to be competitive turned out to be blow outs Tuesday — as Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell won the Democratic nod for State Representative in the 74th District and Cuyler Walker won the Republican nomination for State...
Democrats step up in legislative races

GOP faces opposition in all but two races in Nov. elections
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Petition season is over, and unless there are some write-in candidates, we know who will appear on the May primary ballots.
And, although I took the Democrats to task for seeming to have a shortage of candidates, they’ve managed to challenge all but two legislative races in Chester County. Yes, there shouldn’t...
Do petition numbers really matter?

As campaigns trumpet numbers, do they tell us anything?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Well, they’re everywhere. Media announcements about the number of signatures a given candidate has gotten to get on the ballot as if it means something.
For those who don’t know, political candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in their district — they must be of the same political...
A tale of two political parties