Democrats win DA races in Delco, Chester County

Democrats won the district attorney races in Delaware and Chester Counties late Tuesday amid calls from their Republican opponents that they were soft on crime during a reported spike in incidents attributed to the suburbs’ proximity to Philadelphia.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer won a second term, beating challenger Beth Stefanide-Miscichowski, a former prosecutor in his office.

Next door, in Chester County, Chris de Barrena-Sarobe defeated Ryan Hyde in a competitive race for a seat left open by District Attorney Deb Ryan, who won her bid Tuesday to become a Common Pleas Court judge.

Elsewhere in the Philadelphia suburbs, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele secured an all-but-guaranteed victory: Steele, a Democrat, had secured enough write-in votes to cross-file as a Republican and faced no challengers.

In Bucks County, District Attorney Matt Weintraub was elected to an open position on the Court of Common Pleas. In January, he will be replaced by First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, who will serve the rest of the four-year term Weintraub won in 2021.

During Stollsteimer’s reelection campaign, he touted the programs he initiated during his first term as Delaware County’s first Democratic district attorney, including a community-driven partnership that has curbed gun violence in Chester; the first county-level environmental crimes unit in Pennsylvania; and aggressive prosecutions of construction companies that misclassify their workers, robbing them of unemployment and workers’ comp benefits.

He also warned against a “spillover” of crime into the county’s eastern municipalities that share a border with West Philadelphia, and pledged to provide more resources and attention to those, including Yeadon and Upper Darby.

Speaking after his victory Tuesday, Stollsteimer said he was “completely humbled” that people from across the county had chosen to reelect him.

”As I’ve said many times, serving as district attorney has been the honor of a lifetime, and I’m looking forward to continuing the great work I’ve done for these folks for the next four years,” he said.

Despite widespread speculation that Stollsteimer will throw his hat in the ring for the state attorney general’s race during next spring’s primary, he reiterated that his focus and commitment are on Delaware County.

Stefanide-Miscichowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During the race, she had criticized Stollsteimer as prioritizing progressive values over punishing criminals, pledging to prosecute any and all crimes in the county. Another major tentpole of her campaign was what she alleged to be mismanagement at the county jail, saying it had seen an increase in violence among inmates and against corrections officers that was seldom revealed to the public by county officials.

In Chester County, de Barrena-Sarobe will lead an office he once served in as an assistant district attorney. The former federal prosecutor has said that pursuing drug offenses will be his main priority, drawing on his past experience with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware targeting major narcotics distributors.

“I’m honored to have received the support of the citizens of Chester County, and look forward to serving them as district attorney,” he said Tuesday evening after the race was called. “For me, this victory means everything and is a culmination of all my work with law enforcement. To see the work I’ve put in as prosecutor throughout my career get recognized by the electorate is exciting, and I hope I can live up to their expectations.”

Hyde, his opponent, had promised similar results, but also said reorganizing the office would be his main priority. A private attorney, Hyde said he had experienced, firsthand, instances of disorganization and delay in the courtrooms he tried cases in.

He congratulated de Barrena-Sarobe, and said that though the race’s outcome was disappointing, he was grateful to have engaged in an “issues-based campaign.”

“The cause of justice doesn’t end with an election,“ Hyde said. “While this campaign closes, our work together continues. I look forward to partnering for positive change and a justice system we can believe in. Progress takes perseverance, but our shared hopes for this county make me optimistic for the future.”