SCRANTON — Democrat Thom Welby took the oath of office Tuesday to become a Lackawanna County commissioner, ending an odyssey that began about nine months ago with former Democratic Commissioner Matt McGloin’s surprise resignation.
Welby, the winner of a Nov. 4 special election to fill McGloin’s unexpired term running into early January 2028, joins Democrat Bill Gaughan and Republican Chris Chermak on a board of commissioners often at odds this year over the vacancy and the process of filling it. He replaces Democratic Commissioner Brenda Sacco, who secured McGloin’s seat via a temporary appointment last month and held it for a turbulent 35 days.
County President Judge James Gibbons administered the oath Welby took while surrounded by family, friends and fellow politicos inside a packed courtroom at the county courthouse in downtown Scranton. His swearing in closes the book on a monthslong saga marked by legal battles and malice that Tuesday’s ceremony lacked.
It instead featured testimonials lauding Welby for his work ethic, kindness, pragmatism and penchant for helping others.
“What has always set Thom apart is his combination of fairness and practicality he brings to every decision,” state Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, Dunmore, said of his former longtime chief of staff. “He listens without rushing and respects different viewpoints, knowing how to bring people together so that discussions stay productive. Thom always has made choices based on what he believes is right for Lackawanna County. That kind of balance is rare, and it’s a quality that will serve him well as a commissioner.”
State Senator Marty Flynn speaks during Lackawanna County Commissioner Thom Welby’s swearing-in ceremony at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“Now he joins Commissioner Gaughan and Commissioner Chermak on the Board of Commissioners and I know they’ll benefit from the experience he’s carrying with him,” Flynn continued. “He’s bringing a grounded understanding of the community that comes from years of direct work for the constituents. He’s seen how county decisions affect people in real ways, and he knows how to translate those experiences into policy.”
Welby, a former Democratic state representative, won the commissioner seat by defeating Republican Chet Merli of Blakely and independent candidate Michael Cappellini of Jessup in the special election. It marked Welby’s second special election victory, the new commissioner having previously won a 2021 special election to fill Flynn’s unexpired term as state representative for the 113th state House District after Flynn became a state senator.
He thanked Sacco, Gaughan, Chermak and others in remarks after taking the oath, reflecting on how his upbringing as one of 13 children instilled in him an appreciation for “people who help other people.” That appreciation informed Welby’s passion for community service, he said, noting elected and appointed officials “work for the good of the people.”
“And that’s what I want to do for the next two-plus years,” Welby said. “I just want to do good and do right, and I know along the way I’m going to stumble. I know that we’ll have disagreements. We’re all human and we’ll have disagreements, but hopefully we’ll eventually get along and do the right thing.”
Welby also said he looks forward to working with Gaughan and Chermak, “and for the three of us to work as a team that I know that we will be.”
Despite the acrimony that defined the battle over McGloin’s vacancy and continued during Sacco’s roughly monthlong tenure, Gaughan is optimistic the road ahead will be less tempestuous.
Lackawanna County Commissioner-elect Thom Welby greets Commissioner Bill Gaughan before his swearing-in ceremony at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“I’m really confident that Thom Welby and I are going to be able to work closely together,” Gaughan said Monday. “I’ve known Thom for well over 10 years now … and he’s always been a stand-up guy and a straight shooter, so I’m actually excited to get to work with him.”
Chermak, whose holiday travel plans prevented him from attending Welby’s swearing in, called his new colleague a “gentleman” in an interview Monday.
What dynamic might emerge among the three, and what personnel and other moves the new board might make, remains to be seen.
“It’s a day for him and his family,” Gaughan said of Welby during the Monday interview. “I know his family is proud of him. The people of Lackawanna County are happy that he is becoming a commissioner, so we’ll discuss all that once he’s sworn in and probably within a few days of him getting sworn in we’ll have that all settled.”
Also praising Welby on Tuesday was county Treasurer Angela Rempe Jones, who worked with Welby on Flynn’s staff and later served as Welby’s chief of staff during his time in the state House.
Lackawanna County treasure Angela Rempe Jones speaks during County Commissioner Thom Welby’s swearing-in ceremony at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“And if we did a show of hands here in the courtroom of who has Thom Welby helped or who knows somebody that Thom Welby helped, it would be like a wave, like the Welby wave,” she said. “Thom is authentic, he’s a motivator, a worker, a hard worker, kind, trustworthy. Thom is a giver and generous, so generous with his time and generous to a cause always. He is resilient, and in the world of public policy and governance the one constant for absolute sure is change. No one can argue that here, especially.”
“It’s crystal clear the voters got it exactly right with Thom Welby as our next county commissioner, and we are embracing the change,” Jones said.
Welby, who has said he won’t seek reelection in 2027, stressed at the close of his remarks that he’s ready to serve and his door is open.
“I also want you to know whether you’re a constituent, an employee or a department head, I’m always available to talk to morning, noon or night,” he said. “Please, and thank you all for your support.”