Thaddeus Kirkland (born January 12, 1955) is an American politician who served as the Democratic Mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania from 2016 to 2024.

[3][4] Kirkland was a community service coordinator at Crozer Chester Medical Center, where he directed outreach and educational programs for teenagers.

[2] Kirkland served as the Democratic Chairman of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee and as a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

Kirkland has been involved in areas of prayer in school, video surveillance, technical training, and Head Start programs.

Just before taking office on January 4, 2016, he promised to reduce violence in the city by improving the schools and police force and using body cameras.