Allegheny County Democrats and Republicans selected their candidates over the weekend for the September 19 special election in the 21st House District to replace Sara Innamorato.

The Democrats chose Lindsay Powell who works at the nonprofit InnovatePGH and serves on the board of the Urban Redevelopment Authority as their representative on the ballot.

Republicans tabbed Erin Connolly Autenreith, a realtor who has lived in Shaler Township for the past 15 years and who chairs the local Republican Party committee there.

In a special election, there is no primary. County committees usually come together and make their pick which is forwarded to the state party for confirmation. State party officials almost always accept the recommendation of local committee people.

Innamorato, who resigned her seat to focus on her bid to become Allegheny County Executive, and Powell sit on the URA board together. She offered her congratulations to the newly-minted candidate and said, “Looking forward to working with you and the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee to build a Pennsylvania for All!”

Powell would be the first Black woman to represent the 21st District, which is nearly 90 percent white. And her election would restore some racial diversity to a county delegation that lost two Black representatives when special elections were held to replace former House members Summer Lee and Austin Davis.

She defeated Chris Rosselot, a former City Council candidate now working for the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group; Josh Fleitman, a campaign director for the gun control group CeaseFirePA; Robert Parkinson Helwig, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Summer Lee when she was a member of the state House; and Elizabeth Dunn, a member of the Shaler Area School District board.

Autenreith, who has run for office previously, says she dislikes political polarization on such issues as abortion — a topic on which she said she’d prefer voters to decide policy through a referendum.

“Many folks don’t feel they’ve been represented well by the outgoing representative,” said Sam DeMarco, who chairs the Republican Committee of Allegheny County.. “Erin will provide an opportunity for folks looking for someone who will represent the district and its specific needs, as opposed to national ideologies.”

While Democrats met and held a committee vote to select Powell, Republicans were hamstrung by a party rule that requires 15 days’ notice before conferees can be gathered for a nomination. Innamorato resigned on July 19 and with the special election scheduled for September 19, parties were required to submit a nominee no later than July 31.

“I didn’t want to leave a blank on the ballot,” Autenreith told WESA. And whatever the outcome of the race, she said her campaign offered the heavily Democratic district a chance “to realize that Republicans aren’t all bad.”

With a 57-26% advantage in voter registration in the District, it will be a tough climb for Autenreith and Republicans to claim the seat and a majority in the state House. The chamber currently sits at a 101-101 tie and is not presently scheduled to return to session until September 26.

It typically take 2-3 weeks for an election to be certified, so it is unlikely the winner will be seated until early October.

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.