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Carolyn Comitta

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Carolyn Comitta
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 5, 2021 (2021-01-05)
Preceded byAndy Dinniman
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 156th district
In office
January 3, 2017 (2017-01-03) – November 30, 2020 (2020-11-30)
Preceded byDan Truitt
Succeeded byDianne Herrin
58th Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania
In office
January 4, 2010 (2010-01-04) – April 12, 2017 (2017-04-12)
Preceded byDick Yoder
Succeeded byJordan Norley
Member of the
West Chester Borough Council
from the 5th Ward
In office
January 2, 2006 (2006-01-02) – January 4, 2010 (2010-01-04)
Preceded byBarbara McIlvaine Smith
Succeeded byTom Paxson
Personal details
Born (1952-04-27) April 27, 1952 (age 72)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTom
Children2
ResidenceWest Chester, Pennsylvania
Alma materWest Chester University, Widener University
OccupationPolitician, Educator, Financial officer

Carolyn Comitta is an American politician, educator and financial officer. A Democrat, she is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the 19th district. Previously, Comitta was the first woman to serve as Mayor of West Chester, the seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, and served two terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 156th district.

Early life and education

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Comitta was born in Buffalo, New York, and her family moved to West Goshen when she was 2 years old, where she has lived ever since. Comitta received her BS in Education from West Chester University (then West Chester State College) in 1974, and her M.Ed. from Widener University in 1989.[1]

Professional career

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From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Comitta worked in the Octorara Area School District as a special and gifted education curriculum specialist and teacher. Since 1988, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of World Information Transfer, Inc., a non-profit, non-governmental educational organization focused on health- and environment-related issues.[1]

She is the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of her husband's firm, Thomas Comitta Associates, Town Planners and Landscape Architects.[1]

Political career

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West Chester Borough Council

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Comitta speaking at West Chester University.

Comitta was first elected to the West Chester Borough Council in 2005, taking-over the Fifth Ward seat vacated by incumbent Democratic Councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith. While on Council, she served as chair of the Borough Council's Public Safety Committee, and also chaired the Planning Zoning, Business & Industrial Development Committee. She also served as a member of the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Committee, as well as the Finance Committee.[1]

Mayor of West Chester

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She sought the office of Borough Mayor in 2009, and defeated Councilman Bill Scott in the Democratic primary. She was elected unopposed in the fall general election, and took office the following January. In succeeding the term-limited incumbent Mayor, Republican Dick Yoder,[2] Comitta became West Chester's first ever female Mayor, and its first Democratic Mayor since 1992.[3]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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On January 7, 2016, Comitta announced her intent to run for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 156th District, challenging incumbent Dan Truitt.[4] After a lengthy recount, she was declared the winner over Truitt by 25 votes on December 16, 2016.[5]

On November 6, 2018, Comitta won re-election against Republican challenger Nicholas Deminski by a margin of 13 points or 4,108 votes.[6]

In 2020, Comitta sought re-election to her House seat and was unopposed in the Democratic primary. She ended her House campaign in June 2020 to focus on her Senate campaign and was replaced on the ballot by West Chester mayor Dianne Herrin.[7]

Pennsylvania State Senate

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In February 2020, State Senator Andy Dinniman announced his retirement at the end of his term.[8] Dinniman's retirement as considered surprising as he had been preparing for a re-election campaign for a fourth term and petitioning had already begun.[9] The day after Dinniman's announcement, Comitta announced her campaign for the Pennsylvania State Senate in the 19th District. In a three-way Democratic primary against Dinniman's longtime aide Don Vymazal and local school board member Kyle Boyer, Dinniman endorsed Vymazal, while Comitta was endorsed by Governor Tom Wolf and several labor unions.[10] After Pennsylvania delayed their primary to June 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Comitta won the primary with nearly 51% of the vote.[11]

In the general election, Comitta defeated Republican Kevin Runey with 57.43% of the vote.[12]

Electoral history

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Pennsylvania's 156th Legislative District

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2016 election

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Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 156, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn Comitta 18,267 49.98%
Republican Dan Truitt (incumbent) 18,242 49.91%
Write-in 43 0.12%
Total votes 36,552 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

2018 election

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Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 156, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn Comitta (incumbent) 17,923 56.48%
Republican Nicholas J Deminski 13,792 43.46%
Write-in 17 0.05%
Total votes 31,732 100.00%
Democratic hold

2020 Democratic Primary

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Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn Comitta (incumbent) Unopposed
Total votes 9,261 100.00

Pennsylvania's 19th Senatorial District

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Comitta Carolyn State Senate campaign logo

2020 Democratic Primary

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Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn Comitta 18,914 51.33%
Democratic Don Vymazal 11,704 31.77%
Democratic Kyle J Boyer 6,161 16.72%
Write-in 66 0.18%
Total votes 36,845 100.00%

2020 general election

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Pennsylvania Senate, District 19, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn Comitta 88,199 57.43%
Republican Kevin Runey 65,233 42.48%
Write-in 135 0.09%
Total votes 153,567 100.00%
Democratic hold

Personal life

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Comitta and her husband, Tom, have two grown children.[1] Tom Comitta is a Planner and Landscape Architect.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Government Information: Mayor". Official Biography of the Mayor. The Borough of West Chester. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  2. ^ Kristie, Dan (January 11, 2010). "For Yoder, being mayor was 'a thrill'". The Daily Local News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  3. ^ Showalter, Connor (January 5, 2010). "Comitta becomes borough's 1st female mayor". The Daily Local News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  4. ^ "Comitta to run for PA House seat". Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "It's official: Comitta will represent 156th District after ballot recount". Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  6. ^ "Carolyn Comitta". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  7. ^ Rellahan, Michael (June 16, 2020). "Five seek to replace Rep. Comitta on ballot". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Fernandez, Cynthia (February 10, 2020). "Longtime Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman is retiring". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Rellahan, Michael (February 9, 2020). "With Dinniman out, Chesco Dems now expect 'exciting' convention". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Rellahan, Michael (May 30, 2020). "Three seek Democratic nod in 19th Senate District". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "Election Results: Carolyn Comitta Leads State Senate Race In 19th". West Chester, PA Patch. June 3, 2020. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "Chester County Election Results, 2020". pennsylvania.totalvote.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Rybczynski, Witold (2007). Last Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville. New York: Scribner. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7432-3596-9.
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Political offices
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 19th district
2021-Present 		Incumbent
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 156th district
2017-2020 		Succeeded by
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