Allegheny County Dems Meet Saturday To Choose HD-21 Candidate

2022 State House map of Allegheny County

With time of the essence, Allegheny County Democrats will meet on Saturday morning to select their candidate in the 21st House District.

The winner of this vote will be recommended for nomination to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Executive Committee.

Democrat Sara Innamorato resigned her position to concentrate on her candidacy for Allegheny County Executive against Republican Joe Rockey. A special election will be held on Tuesday, September 19, for her replacement and Dems have five candidates to choose from.

  • Elizabeth Dunn. She serves on the school board of the Shaler Area School District and has worked in social services. Dunn is the only candidate in the race to hold elected office and has also served on the Democratic Committee. She has the support of Allegheny County Council member Bethany Hallam.

 

  • Josh Fleitman is the campaign director for CeaseFirePA, overseeing the group’s statewide strategy to build powerful partnerships around gun violence prevention advocacy. A Shaler resident, he previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to PA State Senator Pam Iovino and worked in the offices of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.

 

  • Robert Helwig works in Kline & Specter’s Mass Tort Department on the firm’s RoundUp project. The Polish Hill resident assisted Rep. Summer Lee with her policy portfolio when she was in the PA House.

 

  • Lindsay Powell is the Director of Workforce Strategy at InnovatePGH. Prior to that, the Lawrenceville resident served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

 

  • Chris Rosselot is the Director of Policy at Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group. He was a field representative for Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and was a candidate for Pittsburgh City Council.

 

Innamorato has said that the timing of her resignation was deliberate. Democrats had a one-seat majority in the House, so her departure leaves the 203-member body tied. But the House isn’t scheduled to return from summer recess until September 26. That combined with the sizable Democratic edge in voter registration in the District – 57 percent Democrat versus 26% Republican – means that, as Innamorato put it, “You don’t have to worry about being at 101-101” for long.

Democrats will use ranked-choice voting to select a nominee Saturday. That process requires voters to rank their choices, so that if no one wins an outright majority, the count begins to include voters’ back-up picks as well.

The 21st State House District is comprises parts of the city of Pittsburgh, the townships of Reserve and Shaler and the boroughs of Etna and Millvale.

Email:
  • Will tonight's U.S. Senate debate affect your decision?


    • No. I've already decided on how to cast my vote. (81%)
    • Yes. Anxious to hear from both candidates (19%)

    Total Voters: 27

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