Democratic Bucks County Commissioners Rally Supporters With Gov. Shapiro

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, two of the state’s most visible Democrats, helped rally support for the two Bucks County Democrats running for county commissioners.

Commissioners Chairperson Bob Harvie, of Falls Township, and Vice Chairperson Diane Ellis-Marseglia, of Middletown Township, announced their decision to run in December, but they held their first campaign rally on Saturday at the Boilermakers Local 13 Union Hall on New Falls Road in Bristol Township.

The two incumbents were joined by other Democratic elected officials and candidates from around the county.

“We know Bob and Diane have led an honest and ethical government that has invested in economic development and opportunity for all,” Shapiro told the crowd. “By any measure, they’ve done an extraordinary job and now we have to go out and tell their story.”

The new governor, a former state lawmaker and Montgomery County commissioner, urged the candidates’ supporters to get out and knock on doors for them.

“County government – trust me, I know this first hand – county government is where the rubber meets the road where people who are most in need go for help,” Shapiro said.

“We know we have the strongest Democratic party we’ve ever had in Bucks County. You have the resources, and we have two outstanding candidates who can lead us forward,” he added.

Davis, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor and the nation’s youngest, echoed Shapiro and called for Democrats to help Harvie and Ellis-Marseglia win.

State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, the leader of the county’s Democratic party, rallied supporters to back their party’s ticket in the 2023 election.

“Now, these last three years have been some of the most challenging here in our lifetime. And throughout that time, Bob and Diane had continued to deliver the services for the people of the county,” he said.

Ellis-Marseglia said it was “disillusioning” to serve on the commissioners board for years as the only Democrat before Harvie was elected.

“I want to take this opportunity also to say that we try to keep this county united,” she said. “We did it through the pandemic and through all the things that we have changed. We have tried to do it in a calm reasonable transparent and bipartisan matter.”

Ellis-Marseglia and Harvie pointed to the fact they haven’t raised taxes during their administration, have supported environmental causes, and helped small businesses during the pandemic.

“This is only the fourth time in the history of Bucks County that Democrats have control,” Harvie said. “People would ask what happened the previous three times and how long did Democratic control last. Four years. We’re going to make sure that the history does not repeat itself.”

Harvie added: “I’m a Democrat because I believe not that government is the end all, which is what you hear from the other side. But that we the people – the people who are behind here – we are the government. We the people. We the people looking out for each other.”

Ellis-Marseglia and Harvie have no Democratic challengers for the spring primary.

GOP Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, of Bensalem Township, is running for reelection. He will face several challengers in the Republican primary.

According to the state’s county code, county commissioners are elected every four years. Voters cast a ballot for two candidates and those with the highest vote tallies win. The commissioners are made up of two winning members from one party and one member from the party that received the least votes. They oversee county government and the workforce spread throughout; control the budget for county government, the courts, and elect row offices; and appoint citizens for boards and authorities.

At the Saturday morning rally, Santarsiero pointed to the importance of the 2023 election, which Democrats and Republicans are expected to invest heavily in.

The commissioners race is widely expected to be watched statewide and nationally with seven figures being spent by both sides. Bucks County’s 2023 election results are expected to be a barometer for the 2024 U.S. Senate and presidential race.

Santarsiero said Democrats don’t just have to win the commissioners majority, but the party needs to win the county row office and local races. The party’s leader and other speakers noted the importance of winning school board races, citing controversies in the Central Bucks School Board.