About John Kopp

I am the new politics reporter for the Delaware County Daily Times, replacing Danielle Lynch, who kept a close eye on county politics for several years.

Yes, this is a selfie.

I’m stepping into the job after spending the last 3.5 years covering the city of Chester and the Chester Upland School District. There was a lot to cover, to say the least. Chester Upland nearly closed its doors when it ran out of funding in January 2012. A lawsuit filed by the school board prevented that disaster, but ultimately the state again seized control of the district. Meanwhile, the Chester Democratic Party grabbed control of City Hall for the first time in the city’s history. Under Mayor John Linder, they’ve battled their own budget struggles while trying to revitalize the city, mitigate violence and lower unemployment.

So, I may be new to the county scene, but I’m not entirely green on politics. I’ve seen how the game is played.

A few things about myself: I’m a Temple University graduate who initially dabbled in sportswriting, where every night is dubbed as election night. A native of Lancaster County, I’m an avid baseball fan who tries to visit a new ballpark every summer (I’ve been to 16). I reluctantly list Weezer as my favorite musical group, fully knowing they have not produced a quality album in more than a decade. That’s loyalty, I guess. Also, my grandmother once told me there always would be newspapers. She was wrong.

This blog hopefully will serve as a forum to provide frequent updates on Delaware County’s local, state and federally-elected officials. I’ll also try to post any other relevant political news I come across.