Lillian DeBaptiste | |
---|---|
62nd Mayor of West Chester | |
Assumed office January 3, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Jordan Norley |
Personal details | |
Born | Lillian Louise DeBaptiste | November 15,1951
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Thomas D. Lambert Sr. |
Children | 5 |
Parent | Clifford DeBaptiste |
Education | West Chester University (Graduate in Psychology) |
Lillian Louise DeBaptiste (born November 15,1951) is an American politician and funeral director. A Democrat,she is currently serving as Mayor of West Chester,the seat of Chester County,Pennsylvania. She is the borough's first black female mayor.
DeBaptiste graduated from both Henderson High School and West Chester University in psychology. [1] [2]
DeBaptiste has been a funeral director at her family's funeral home,DeBaptiste Funeral Homes,since 1973. The business has a location in West Chester and another in Bryn Mawr. [3] [4] She runs a banquet hall as well. Called Milestone Events,it is located next door to their West Chester funeral home. [2] [5] [6]
On February 7,2021,DeBaptiste announced her candidacy for Mayor of West Chester. [7] She won the Democratic primary,defeating the incumbent interim mayor Jordan Norley and a third candidate,Kyle Hudson. [8] DeBaptiste went on to win the general election in November and became the borough's first black female mayor on January 3,2022. [9] [10]
DeBaptiste endorsed Malcolm Kenyatta for the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate race. [11] [12]
DeBaptiste announced that she would co-sponsor West Chester's first annual Porchfest,along with the West Chester Green Team. It was held on May 21,2022. [13] [14] [15]
She also continued the Police Department Diversity Task Force,a borough committee started by her predecessor that hopes to raise trust in the West Chester Police Department by making it more ethnically diverse. [16]
Mayor of West Chester,PA,2021 [8] [17]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Lillian L. DeBaptiste | 997 | 51.87% | |
Democratic | Jordan Norley (Incumbent) | 665 | 34.60% | |
Democratic | Kyle Hudson | 250 | 13.01% | |
Write-in | 10 | 0.52% | ||
Total votes | 1,922 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Lillian L. DeBaptiste | 2,116 | 63.52% | |
Libertarian | Beth Ann Rosica | 543 | 16.30% | |
Liberty for All | Eric R. Lorgus | 659 | 19.78% | |
Write-in | 13 | 0.39% | ||
Total votes | 3,331 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
DeBaptiste is married to Thomas D. Lambert Sr. The couple lives in West Chester. They have five children and four grandchildren together. [1] DeBaptiste is the daughter of former mayor Clifford DeBaptiste,who served as the borough's first black mayor from 1994 to 2002 as a Republican. [18] [19] Active in her community,DeBaptiste has worked with the Charles A. Melton Arts &Education Center,the Chester County Community Foundation,and her local Planned Parenthood branch. [20] [2]
Chester County,colloquially referred to as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region,located in the southeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 census,the population was 534,413,increasing by 7.1% from 498,886 in 2010. The county seat is the Borough of West Chester. The most populous of its 73 municipalities is Tredyffrin Township. The most populous boroughs are West Chester and Phoenixville. Coatesville is the only municipality in the County organized under the City form of government,a technical rather than demographic distinction. Chester County was one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created by William Penn in 1682. It was named for Chester,England.
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Clifford Evans DeBaptiste is an American politician and funeral director who served as mayor of West Chester,Pennsylvania,from 1994 to 2002. A Republican at the time,he was the borough's first black mayor. He is often credited for beginning the revitalization of the borough. DeBaptiste has honorary doctorates from West Chester University and Lincoln University.