Gov. Tom Wolf addresses the Chester County Democratic Committee Annual Dinner — in front of a packed house of more than 325 people, Sunday night. Photo: Jim Salvas.
COATESVILLE — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf addressed a packed Coatesville Country Club Sunday night, asking the 325 Chester County Democrats in attendance to do more than just resist the current Republican attacks on human rights related to healthcare, the environment, workers and unions, and immigration.
“The state budget has to ask more of our government rather than asking more of our fellow citizens,” he said.
Gov. Wolf requested that everyone support the Democrats running for local and statewide judicial offices this year. He singled out former Pittsburgh Steeler Dwayne Woodruff as deserving to be the first African-American PA Supreme Court Justice, someone who spent his last five years as a player also going to law school. Gov. Wolf also asked for the crowd’s support for his own upcoming 2018 reelection race as well as U.S. Senator Bob Casey, to loud applause.
“If we keep putting good Democrats up in state and local races, presenting our values, we are going to win those seats,” Wolf said. “We need to get more people like Carolyn Comitta, elected right here in Chester County.”
Gov. Wolf ended by calling on all Democrats to “stand together to defend the America, the Pennsylvania, and the Chester County we know and love,” and “to resist the temptations of the right-wing extremists; let’s protect the values and priorities that have made our commonwealth truly great.”
Before welcoming Gov. Wolf for his keynote address, Chester County Democratic Committee Chairman Brian J. McGinnis spoke on the 2017 races and the progress and excitement generated this year.
The audience also heard from judicial candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Court, ending with introductions and brief speeches by the four women Democrats running for Chester County row offices: Margaret Reif for Controller, Patricia Maisano for Treasurer, Dr. Christina VandePol for Coroner, and Maria Crossan for Clerk of Courts.
