Beth Stefanide-Miscichowski, running for Delaware County District Attorney, took aim at the incumbent DA, Democrat Jack Stollsteimer when she spoke to the Chadds Ford Republican Party Saturday. She said crime in the county is up more than 25 percent.
“Why am I running? Because the policies that have been enacted by this district attorney are not working. Delaware County Prison has its lowest population in probably 25 years, and that’s because there is a policy in play to empty the prison and let repeat violent offenders back out on the street where they have been committing more dangerous crimes. They’re actually escalating in their behaviors. They’re escalating because they know this district attorney [Stollsteimer] will not enact consequences for their behavior.”
In a brief interview after she spoke, Stefanide-Miscichowski, who’s been an attorney for almost 30 years, repeated her concern about rising crime in the county and what she called the “coordinate de-incarceration efforts,” meaning low bail or no bail, and the “prosecutorial nullification where we are not prosecuting entire classes of crime.”
When reminded that Stollsteimer held a recent press conference where he said shoplifting will be prosecuted to the fullest, Stefanide-Miscichowski said he did that because she already had two news articles criticizing him for not prosecuting petty theft or break-ins of cars, or other low-level crimes.
Other candidates addressing the local GOP were Jeff Jones, running for Delaware County Council, Dawn Getty Sutphin running for Judge of Common Pleas, and Brian Lamb, from Pennsbury Township running for a seat on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board.
Jones told the Chadds Ford Republicans “We’re looking down the barrel of a 35 percent tax increase in the county. What’s important to realize is that it’s just poor fiscal management.”
He mentioned several municipalities, Chester, Upper Darby, and the Chester-Upland School District having major financial issues including bankruptcy and receivership issues.
“I think there is, lurking in the background, some of these similar issues across the county that [people] aren’t aware of,” Jones said. “So, having a voice on Council that is opposite of the five Democrats that are currently there, starts to create an infrastructure that will support, uncover, and work with our municipalities across the county to keep the quality of our lives strong. This isn’t a battle about Republicans and Democrats. This is a battle for the quality of life in Delaware County.”
After his address, Jones said his primary issues are public service and taxes.
“Taxes are high and are going up in all phases: municipal taxes, school taxes, and county taxes. I want to control that. I don’t want to tax our families out of Delaware County.”
He said his public service for all is actually a trust issue. He said people need to think that elected officials are in office to serve everyone, not just a few people, not just to drive an agenda that helps some but not others.
In her bid for Judge of Common Pleas, Dawn Getty Sutphin said repeatedly that she is bothered by judges who legislate from the bench. She’s been a lawyer for 34 years and, for the last 10, she’s been with the Public Defenders’ Office.
“I know what it takes to run a courtroom. If you want a judge that is not going to legislate from the bench, a judge that is going to disallow politics in the courtroom, then you need to vote for me,” she said. “I believe in nonpartisan justice. I believe in applying the law as it’s drafted regardless of my personal views. And I believe in treating everyone with integrity and respect.”
She later repeated that her focus is “making sure that everyone has fair, unbiased and nonpartisan trials."
Brian Lamb is running to be one of the school board directors from Region C which includes Chadds Ford and Pennsbury townships. As is so often the case, Lamb said he’s running because he has kids going to school in the district and moved into the district because of the schools.
“Since the time we moved in [2019] the academic performance has gone down and the taxes have gone up,” he said. “So, I’m running to reverse that trend.”
Lamb said he has no political credits to rely on, but that he’s a father, chemical engineer, and a Little League coach. At which point he donned a KAU baseball cap and spoke about how he motivates players and hoped that would help motivate voters. He left the meeting early because he had to coach his team in a ballgame.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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