Democrats secure both open supervisor seats, building on anti-privatization momentum
Democrats Vanessa Gaynor and Courtney Morgan scored decisive victories Tuesday in Towamencin’s Board of Supervisors race, defeating Republicans Dr. Christina Eppolito and Angela Illingworth to claim both six-year seats on the five-member board.
According to Montgomery County’s unofficial election results, Gaynor and Morgan captured the township’s top two vote totals among more than 14,000 ballots cast.
With all nine precincts reporting (100 percent), both Democrats prevailed by margins exceeding 1,000 votes. Turnout reached 7,483 voters, representing 56 percent of registered residents.
"We are proud to see so many of our neighbors step up to be a part of the democratic process today. It's so inspiring to see the care and commitment the people of Towamencin have for our township," the supervisors-elect said in a joint statement Tuesday night. "Thank you to every single voter who came out to make their voice heard today. We look forward to the final results of today's election."
Mail-in ballots widen Democratic edge
Democrats dominated mail-in turnout by nearly a 3-to-1 ratio.
Combined, Gaynor and Morgan earned 3,185 mail-in votes, compared with 1,105 for Eppolito and Illingworth, effectively securing their victory before polls closed.
The performance mirrors a wider county trend of Democratic strength in mail voting, particularly among organized neighborhood and environmental advocacy networks that fueled the party’s gains in 2023 and 2024.
Campaign context: From anti-privatization to majority control
Gaynor and Morgan’s campaign followed years of intense local activism, most visibly their roles in Towamencin Neighbors Opposing Privatization Efforts, which successfully blocked the proposed sale of the township’s sewer system.
Gaynor, a compliance professional and member of Towamencin’s Environmental Advisory Council, emphasized data-driven planning, strategic open-space preservation, and transparency in township governance.
Morgan, a corporate operations manager, centered her campaign on restoring public trust, improving infrastructure planning, and expanding community engagement. Both ran on a shared platform of future-focused, collaborative decision-making.
Republican candidates Eppolito and Illingworth each highlighted fiscal discipline, traffic management, and transparency, but were unable to overcome the Democratic mail-in margin or shifting township demographics.
The results give Democrats a clear governing majority on the Towamencin Board of Supervisors — a significant shift in a township long considered Republican territory.
The outcome follows last spring’s appointment of Independent Amer Barghouth to fill a vacancy created by Laura Smith’s resignation, and comes as Supervisor Chuck Wilson departs after losing in the May primary.
The victory caps a two-year local movement that began with the sewer-privatization fight and has evolved into a sustained political realignment toward resident-led governance and environmental priorities.
Towamencin saw 7,483 ballots cast out of 13,317 registered voters, or 56.2 percent turnout, one of the highest rates in Montgomery County’s 2025 municipal cycle.
