As the New Year begins, Chester County’s newly elected officials and judges assumed their roles after being officially sworn in during a weekend ceremony with friends and family present, writes Brooke Schultz for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Four new officials in the county’s row offices, including clerk of courts, controller, coroner, and prothonotary, as well as three magisterial district justices, were at the Chester County Justice Center this past Saturday to take their oath. 

“I’ve found, in this line of work, when you’re finding people to run for office, it’s quite difficult to get the good people to do it,” said county commissioner Josh Maxwell while addressing the incoming officials. “It sometimes attracts maybe the wrong people. I’m so excited to be here today because we have a lot of good people who rose their hands – maybe a higher bar than we typically have in the county.” 

All of the newly sworn in officials are Democrats, continuing the political shift that began in 2019. 

Dozens of supporters lined the benches in the courtroom, offering the newly sworn in officials a heartfelt standing ovation after the oaths had been officially administered. 

Read more about the ceremony that welcomed newly elected officials in Chester County in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on VISTA.Today in January 2026.