Chester County DA Deborah Ryan is running for county judge
Deborah Ryan, Chester County's first female and Democratic district attorney, is one of 13 candidates who have declared they are running for Common Pleas Judge next year.
Chester County District Attorney Deborah Ryan has announced that she will be running for county judge next year, an early declaration in a race that is already crowded months before the spring primary.
Ryan, 51, said in an interview Monday that she felt the time was right to make the transition after 20 years of serving as a prosecutor and advocate.
“I’ve spent my career working on keeping our communities safe and advocating for justice, and working with victims and their families has been one of the most rewarding experiences,” she said. “Now, I’m interested in making decisions on cases from the other side of the courtroom, where I know I’ll have the ability to make another significant impact.”
Ryan’s victory in the 2019 district attorney’s race was a historic one: She was the first Democrat — and the first woman — to hold the office in Chester County, beating Michael Noone, her former colleague in the office and the candidate endorsed by outgoing District Attorney Thomas Hogan.
» READ MORE: From 2019: "After historic victories, new Democratic DAs prepare to take reins in Delaware, Chester Counties"
Before winning the top seat, Ryan spent several years working as a prosecutor under Hogan, specializing in child-abuse cases, and was appointed the head of the unit handling those cases in 2013. Ryan left the office in 2017 to continue her work at nonprofits in the region, but returned for the 2019 election.
She has continued her focus on combatting child abuse after her victory, increasing the number of detectives focused on those cases, as well as expanding a task force solely dedicated to investigating cyber crimes targeting children.
Her time as district attorney has also seen the formation of the Chester County Law Enforcement Task Force on Race & Justice, whose goal is to help build better relationships between communities of color and police, and the Chester County Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative, which diverted dozens of low-level, nonviolent drug offenders into treatment, rather than prosecution.
Ryan also touted the recent prosecution by her office of two gang members who ran a sex trafficking ring in plain sight on the residential streets of East Whiteland Township. Dimas “Adonys” Hernandez and Franklin “Mono” Rivera-Mendieta were convicted after a weeklong trial and sentenced to decades in prison.
“It’s really critical to have people who are sitting on the bench who have common sense and compassion and integrity,” she said. “I hope I would bring that perspective of wanting to do what is right.”
Ryan’s announcement comes during an unprecedented moment for the county: She’s vying for one of five vacancies on the county’s Court of Common Pleas, the most ever on a ballot for Chester County.
But, as expected, she won’t be alone. So far, 13 Democrats, including Ryan, have announced their candidacy and are seeking the party’s endorsement for the May primary.
Under Pennsylvania law, Ryan does not have to resign her position to campaign for judge. Her term as district attorney is up this year, setting the stage for a competitive race for that position as well. So far, no candidates have announced an intention to run.
County judges serve for 10-year terms. If Ryan is elected, she would be barred from handling criminal cases during the first two years of her tenure, to avoid any conflicts of interest from her time as a prosecutor.
“I know most people don’t consider voting for this type of election, but it has significant consequence,” she said. “Given my experience in helping the community, I will continue to do what is right, knowing that people’s lives are impacted by whatever decision I make.”