May 20, 2015
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Commodore Barry Bridge spans across the Delaware River, connecting Chester to South Jersey.
Chester Mayor John Linder was ousted in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, a cutting end to a time in office that began with much fanfare.
Linder gained just 28 percent of the vote and lost to state Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, who waged a challenge after Linder fell out of favor within the city's Democratic party.
Kirkland, a 12-term state lawmaker and arguably the most influential Democrat in Chester, took 71 percent of the vote, according to unofficial tallies released by the Delaware County Election Bureau. Two machines have not yet reported results.
Four years ago, Linder was the face of unprecedented change in Chester government. He topped a Democratic ticket that broke years of Republican rule and gave Democrats full control of City Hall for the first time in at least 100 years.
Yet, Linder and his all-Democratic City Council could not agree on the best way to combat the city's challenges, which include high rates of violent crime, poverty and unemployment.
Within months, Linder and Council began feuding over the appointment of Police Commissioner Joseph Bail, a matter that ultimately wound up in court. He lost the support of City Council and the Democratic party, and now he has lost his job.
“If this is what the citizens want, then so be it,” Linder told the Delaware County Daily Times. “I’m all right with that.”
Kirkland, who carried the endorsement of the city Democrats, will square off against former Republican Mayor Wendell Butler in the general election.
Butler, a former police chief, was defeated by Linder in 2011.
