Joar Dahn gets sworn in by the Honorable District Judge Tammi L. Forbes.
By Napoleon F. Kingcade
On January 5, 28-year-old Joar Dahn became Darby Borough’s youngest mayor — and its first of direct African descent — in its 340-year history. Dahn, a feisty and hardworking Democrat, was sworn in inside a crowded room at the Darby Borough Administration Building.
During the proceedings, Dahn placed his hand on the Bible and took the oath of office. Once the Hon. Magisterial District Judge Tammi L. Forbes gave her stamp of approval, the entire room erupted into loud cheers.
New Darby Mayor Joar Dahn speaks to the audience after his swearing in ceremony.
Photo: Napoleon F. Kingcade
During his speech, Dahn promised to transform the government on behalf of the borough’s striving and struggling working class. He began by thanking those present, including his family.
“I want to first thank everybody for being here,” Dahn said. “I certainly want to thank my family. I also want to thank the Borough Police Officers and my parents. I want to [also] thank my extended family who came here from 10 different states to be here. They all flew here to witness history…. I stand here in a small town, but I have a big heart. I want to thank you, Lord, for this victory.”
“I made a promise to never give up,” Dahn continued, acknowledging the hard work ahead. “I will assure you, I will wake up every single day and I will fight as long as God allows me to do [so].”
Dahn was born during the civil war in Liberia, Africa. He moved to the US at the age of 9 and was educated here.
Mayor Dahn with family members and friends
Photo: Napoleon F. Kingcade
His academic excellence and dedication led to his election as student government president at Bloomsburg University, where he earned a BA in Political Science.
He later earned a master’s degree in public administration from West Chester University.
After college graduation, Dahn worked as an advisor for several state representatives, other mayoral candidates, and as a staffer in the Pennsylvania Senate. Dahn has played a key role in advancing policies that benefit Pennsylvania residents.
Mayor Dahn holds a portrait gifted to him.
Photo: Napoleon F. Kingcade
Dahn is dedicated to advocating for the needs of the people. He utilized his early political experience to help drive change in his local community.
Having established a strong track record of leadership, Dahn was ready to run for a political office. In 2021, he ran for mayor of Darby, entering the race as a write-in candidate. He lost that election by only a few votes.
That close loss inspired him to run again in 2025. This time, he won the election in a landslide.
“This was the highest turnout in an election that we ever had in Darby,” Dahn said during an interview with the SUN. “This was not just a show — this was a movement by the people of Darby. This is what our community is now. Today, this is a new day. There’s new leadership here that is ready and energized. We are ready to turn a new page.”
Audience at Darby Mayor Joar Dahn’s swearing-in ceremony.
Photo: Napoleon F. Kingcade
Dahn said the people in Darby encouraged him to run again. That support is the reason he never gave up. His decision to run again has proven that the people were right.
“Because of the fact that we came that close [to] winning told me, ’You can do this.’ I knew we had to do this again, and when you saw the results, it wasn’t even a close race,” Dahn said. “We had won this time by a very large margin.”
The first month under Dahn’s administration will be dedicated to creating a culture of open communication and transparency.
“The first thing I want to do is to boost morale in the office — I want to meet with everybody in Darby Council,” Dahn said. “’I do want to make sure all of our Council members trust in my leadership. I want to take some time and meet with them. I certainly want to have an in-depth conversation with each one of them. I want to work with Council members in a way that makes sense to our community. The election is over, and now it’s time to do the work. It’s time to put political differences aside and get together in the community.”
One of Dahn’s biggest concerns is the establishment of his own office in Darby, a need the young mayor is keen to address.
“Right now, we don’t have an office, [but] we are looking into that,” Dahn said. “That’s one of the promises that I made to the community, [that] I would have an open-door policy. My door would always be open to the people at all times. Whatever we need to do to have an office available, that’s what we will continue to work on,” Dahn said.
“Not everybody has a car,” he added. “Not everybody has access to public transportation. Every single person should be able to walk to the mayor’s office. We need to have everything in one central location so people can come and get what they need. That was always my vision. So, we will keep on fighting to make sure that my vision comes to light. Right now, I’m looking forward to working with Darby Council and make sure we provide the help that people need.”