Wendell Butler Jr.

Butler was born and raised in Chester where he lived in a federal housing project and attended Chester Public schools.[1] He moved to Ridley Township while a junior in high school and graduated in 1962 from Ridley High School.[1] He served in the U.S. Army for three years before returning to Chester where he worked for American Viscose Corporation in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.[1] In 1969, he joined the Chester Police force.[1] In 1989, he was promoted to Sergeant and in 1994 he was promoted to Major as part of the Command Staff.[1] In January 1996, he was named by Mayor Aaron Wilson Jr. as Police Commissioner.[1][2]

On October 9, 2002, the City Council appointed him as mayor to complete the term of fellow Republican Dominic F. Pileggi who was named to replace State Senator Clarence D. Bell who had died in office.[2] He won re-election for two additional terms after his appointment. In 2010, he implemented a state of emergency and nighttime curfew after a spate of murders including the tragic killing of 2-year-old Terrance Webster.[3]

In the 2011 Chester Mayoral election, he lost his bid for re-election to Democrat John Linder[4] ending long-time Republican control of the Chester government. There had previously been one Democrat mayor, Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard since 1905.[5]

In 2015, he unsuccessfully ran again for mayor against Democrat candidate Thaddeus Kirkland who had defeated John Linder in the primary.[6] In 2012, he was named by the Delaware County Council to serve a five-year term on the board of the Chester Water Authority.[7]

Butler is married to Tanya Butler; they have three children, Elaine, Dondi, and Dirk.[1]

• List of mayors of Chester, Pennsylvania