No woman or person of color has ever led Media Borough. Voters may change that this year.

Media Borough Council member Joi Washington may become the first woman and first Black person to lead the heavily blue community as the municipality faces an open race for mayor for the first time in more than three decades.

Washington won the Democratic nomination for Media mayor Tuesday in an unopposed primary. In November, she will face Kevin Kellogg, a Republican community member who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2021.

Washington’s nomination marks a historic moment in Media and a turning point for the Delaware County community.

According to the Delaware County Historical Society, Washington would be the first woman, and the first person of color, to lead Media since its establishment in 1850.

“I think it’s a nod to what people really want,” she said. “In Media, too, people want a change.”

She has served on the borough council since 2022 and launched her campaign after Media’s longtime Democratic mayor, Robert McMahon, chose to retire rather than seek reelection. Her focus, she said, is on walkability and lowering speed limits.

“People do come to Media for the walkability,” she said. “If it’s not safe to walk, a lot of people will not support businesses or anything else here.”

Washington has a high chance of prevailing in one of the bluest pockets of Delaware County, though it is unclear at this point what the dynamics will be in the borough’s first open mayoral race this century.

McMahon has been mayor since 1992. In 2021, McMahon prevailed against Kellogg by nearly 1,000 votes, earning about 74% of the borough’s votes.

Kellogg, however, said he believes the race could be competitive, as he has more name recognition than he did during his first run and the seat is open.

“People like change, and I think also there’s a different generation after 30 years who live here,” said Kellogg, who is running on a platform focused on parking issues and supporting small businesses.