Ferry, DiBello vie for Montco GOP Chair job

Liz Ferry and Tom DiBello are both running to be the new interim Montgomery County Republican Committee chair, replacing Christian Nascimento, who is stepping down.

Committee members will gather on Jan. 13 to elect DiBello or Ferry. Both candidates sent letters to the committee members making their cases for the chairmanship. 

“We are at a critical moment, and many of us, including myself, believe we are truly battling for the future of the Republican Party in Montgomery County,” said DiBello, a Montgomery County commissioner, who said he has the executive experience needed for the job.

The county GOP needs someone who is focused on election integrity, DiBello said.

Ferry said, “I have met with committee people, leaders, and donors to discuss what is needed now in a county chair and believe I have the skillset needed to serve you and our party at this critical juncture.

“For the last two years, I have been working for Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) in the southeast, helping with communications and grassroots outreach. I created the job because I believe keeping the state Senate Republican is critical to stopping the terrible legislation coming out of the Democratically controlled House of Representatives. It’s time we start exposing the extreme liberal agenda of our Democratically run county.”

Ferry, a former Upper Dublin commissioner, was Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce vice president for fifteen years, “creating business and marketing plans and getting them sponsored or funded.”

“We need someone who has been in Washington working with the Trump Administration on election integrity as well as going to Harrisburg and other counties around the state advocating for improvements to Act 77 and election integrity,” said DiBello. “We need someone who has been working with Turning Point to create an official Montco Hub.  Additionally, someone who has been building relationships within the minority communities. This work is not theoretical; it is already underway, and I’m that person. I have built a proven record of leadership across the corporate, entrepreneurial, and public sectors. My experience includes running large organizations as a senior executive, owning a business, winning elections for township supervisor, school board, and county commissioner, and organizing major political events, including a Trump celebration that drew more than 200 attendees.”

DiBello holds a master’s degree in information systems, has worked for large companies, and has owned a small business.

Ferry argued, “I was the only Republican to serve on the seven-panel board and fought to reduce taxes, enhance emergency services, and stop overdevelopment. I am continuing this work now as municipal chair, holding fundraisers for the first time in a decade, growing volunteers, and recently raised funds to hire legal support to defeat a proposed zoning change to allow high-density development.”

“As county chair, my top priorities will be fundraising, providing support to municipalities through operational improvements, having a constant presence in the community through communications and outreach, and implementing a business plan to GOTV (get out the vote), improve our mail-in ballot program, and reach new voters. Let me emphasize that we must raise money to do all the things we need to do to win. I can fundraise and will provide a specific goal for you to measure my efforts over the next six months as interim chair.”

Ferry is a U.S. Navy veteran. 

“It was a great honor to serve as chair for the past three years, and I’m proud of all of our efforts, particularly our successes in 2024,” Nascimento told Broad + Liberty. 

“Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel like I had the time to commit to this important year with all my other obligations, so I thought it was best to give the next chair the opportunity to get into place before the 2026 primary process started.”

Both Ferry and DiBello ran for Montgomery County commissioner in 2023, with DiBello winning the minority spot on the three-member board, serving with Democrats Neil Makhija and Jamila Winder.

Linda Stein is a Philadelphia-area journalist.