Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bristol Borough Mayor Ralph DiGuiseppe III addressed his recent election defeat and expressed gratitude to the community.
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DiGuiseppe was defeated last month by Frank Peranteau, the former Bristol Borough police chief and district judge. With no Republican on the ballot, Peranteau is poised to become the next mayor in January.
The election marked a spirited contest between the two well-known figures in the riverfront borough. DiGuiseppe, son of the current council president and a former school board member, has served as mayor since August 2022, when he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the death of Mayor Joe Saxton.
“Being the mayor of Bristol Borough is not something in my high school yearbook. It wasn’t something that I always aspired to be, but it was a way for me to just give back to the community,” said DiGuiseppe, who has lived in Bristol for 49 years.
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The mayor emphasized he has no plans to leave the borough.
Beyond his mayoral duties, DiGuiseppe has a real estate career overseeing 1,500 agents and 27 offices across multiple states.
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DiGuiseppe said he viewed his time as mayor as an opportunity for community service.
“The best part about being mayor was not just working with this council, but was the people I got to deal with,” he added.
Despite the election results, DiGuiseppe plans to remain active and is focusing on several initiatives before his term concludes.
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“I still have six months to go, and I’m going to go out with a bang because I have a lot of initiatives that I want to finish up, like the firehouse,” he stated.
The firehouse project is approximately 80 percent designed conceptually, and DiGuiseppe hopes to advance it through the end of summer to finalize design and placement. He also mentioned ongoing police initiatives and technology upgrades.
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Councilmember Greg Pezza lauded DiGuiseppe’s time as mayor and said he brought professionalism to the position.
“When I look back at the legacy of what I think this mayor is going to leave for us, our current mayor, I think you just saw it, and that is professionalism,” Pezza said.
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“If that loses you an election, then I’ll lose my next election. Because professionalism is what we need to continue to push forward in this town,” Pezza added, also congratulating Peranteau on his win.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Peranteau served as district judge for Bristol Borough and a portion of Bristol Township from 2002 until his retirement at the end of 2024. Prior to being district judge, he was a police officer in Bensalem Township and served as Bristol Borough’s police chief until 2001.
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In Pennsylvania, borough mayors are responsible for breaking tie votes on the council, participating in council discussions, overseeing the police department, performing marriages and declaring emergencies.
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