Lillian DeBaptiste
Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania
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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.
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 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Thomas D. Lambert Sr. |
| Children | 5 |
| Parent | Clifford DeBaptiste |
| Education | West Chester University (Graduate in Psychology) |
Early life and education
DeBaptiste graduated from both Henderson High School and West Chester University in psychology.[1][2]
Professional career
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]
Political career
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]
Electoral history
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 | ||||
Personal life
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]