Two Delaware County council seats are on the ballot this year. Republicans think they have a shot.

Delaware County Republicans see an opening to regain representation on the county’s all-Democratic council in 2025.

In 2019, Democrats swept the county board, which had been under Republican control since the Civil War. They easily held onto all five seats in 2021 and 2023.

But Republicans are hoping to exploit community frustration over tax increases this year to regain one or two seats on the board, which oversees a more than $386 million budget.

“It’s going to take a massive fumble on the Democratic side [for Republicans to win], which they’ve already done by voting to increase taxes by 23%,” said Michael Straw, the chair of the Media Republican Party.

Two seats will be on the ballot in November. Candidates are still just beginning to line up for the seats, and neither party has made an endorsement in the races.

Council Vice Chair Richard Womack has announced plans to run for reelection, but the other seat will be open as incumbent Councilmember Kevin Madden faces a term limit.

Frank Agovino, chair of the Delaware County GOP, said several individuals have approached him to express interest in running. Agovino said he’s hoping the party will have a candidate by February but gave no details on who may be running.

Charlie Alexander, a right-wing activist who has spread conspiracy theories about undocumented immigrants, has said he is planning to run as a Republican and pointed to concerns about overspending as a reason. In an interview, he said he would consider pursuing the seat without the party endorsement if he doesn’t receive it.

Among Democrats, party chair Colleen Guiney said five candidates have announced plans to run — Womack, County Controller Joanne Phillips, Nether Providence Commissioner Max Cooper, Haverford Township Democratic Committee chair Jon Larsen, and Delco Black Caucus member Malcolm Yates.

Two others, Guiney said, are considering launching campaigns.

The county will hold its formal endorsement meeting in February. Though other candidates can still run in a primary, the party’s endorsement carries major weight. And, though procedures are still being established for the meeting, Guiney said Womack is likely to earn the party’s support for his reelection bid.

“We as a county always support our incumbents,” Guiney said.

Womack, the one council member seeking reelection, was also the only member to vote against the tax increase last month. Though he said his reelection bid wasn’t on his mind when he cast his vote, he said he plans to work to reduce taxes if reelected.

» READ MORE: Delaware County increases property taxes 23% despite community outrage

“I just did not feel that this tax increase was the right thing to do at this point,” he said, suggesting that some spending cuts could have been made to lessen the blow.

Though Republicans once controlled Delaware County’s council for more than a century, the county’s electorate is now heavily Democratic. Vice President Kamala Harris won the county in the presidential election in November by more than 20 points over Donald Trump.

But Trump earned nearly 5,000 more votes in the county than he did in 2020. with gains in portions of southeast Delaware County. And Republicans are hopeful that those gains will continue.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of Democrats, unaffiliated Republicans, all of the above, that are putting the pieces together now saying, ‘We’ve had one party in control for a long time now,’” Agovino said. “And most reasonable people don’t really like that.”

Democrats would still maintain control of the council even if Republicans win both seats, since three seats won’t be up for election until 2027.

The December vote by the Democratic county councilors to raise property taxes in the county by 23% offered potential Republican candidates a clear talking point to argue for more conservative representation on the board, but Democrats have contended that the tax increase was necessary to make up for years of under investment under Republican councils.

Several candidates appear prepared to defend the increase by pointing to county services like the Health Department that were established as a direct result of Democratic leadership.

Larsen, the Haverford Democratic Committee chair, argued that voters would be swayed by the services the county has added since Democrats took over.

“There are many many things that the county does that aren’t often on people’s minds, and a lot of those services make this a better place to live. And that’s part of what needs to be communicated,” Larsen said.

Phillips, the county controller, pointed to her experience managing the department’s budget and the low pay that was in place when she took office under a GOP council. She said her experience will enable her to find savings in the budget.

But Republicans believe the increase exposed a need for more diverse voices on the board, including that of the minority party. Wally Nunn, a former Republican council member, said it will take the right candidate to effectively deliver the message.

“Are the Republicans going to have articulate, hardworking candidates who are going to go out and drive home the message? You can’t just pick someone off the subway,” he said.