Allegheny County gets first woman chief executive, Dems win court seats

The 2023 general election provided an opportunity for several firsts, and with progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato winning a close bid to succeed Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County is set to have its first woman executive. Innamorato declared victory about an hour after the Associated Press called the race at 10 p.m., thanking supporters and promising "transparent, responsive, and equitable" leadership. She carried most of the City of Pittsburgh as well as swaths of the South Hills and outlying suburbs including Sewickley, while Republican Joe Rockey dominated in the North Hills and western portions of the county. Turnout was high for an off-year at 41%.

Elsewhere, Democrats did well in judicial elections. Dan McCaffery won the state Supreme Court seat, left vacant by justice Max Baer's death, by a six-point margin. The AP called one Superior Court race for Democrat Jill Beck late on Election Day, and Democrat Timika Lane holds a one-point edge for the second vacancy on the state's highest criminal court of appeals. Democrat Matt Wolf also prevailed in the contest for Commonwealth Court. Judges up for a retention vote all appear set to hold their spots on the bench.

However, there was one prize Democrats couldn't claim — incumbent DA Stephen Zappala, who lost the Democratic primary to Matt Dugan and successfully bid for the Republican nomination, beat Dugan in a rematch by appealing to Democratic voters. Zappala peeled away enough Democrats in South Hills suburbs and other precincts narrowly carried by Innamorato to declare victory at 11 p.m. with an 11,000-vote lead.

There were also limits to voters' progressive shift in heavily Democratic Pittsburgh, with Independent candidates Carl Redwood and Sam Schmidt losing their bids for two County Council seats to the county Democrats' endorsed candidates. Redwood and Schmidt had both campaigned to the left of Democrats with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. However, Redwood and Schmidt did make inroads with in-person voters in their prospective districts, who elsewhere skewed Republican in contests such as the County Executive race.

Down-ballot races saw both parties turn out in large numbers, including for school board races. Conservative candidate Mike Wiethorn appeared poised to oust incumbent Matt Mehalik in purple Pine-Richland. Democrats narrowly claimed seats in North Hills School District and Quaker Valley. Pittsburgh Public Schools also got three new directors in districts 4, 6, and 8.

The big picture is that Allegheny County's progressive winning streak continues, but voters also demonstrated an appetite for balance, and favored several conservative and moderate incumbents such as Zappala. The long-serving DA could prove an obstacle to some elements of criminal justice reform. Conservative victories for school board could also portend continuing tensions around book-banning efforts and transgender participation in sports in exurban areas and Pittsburgh's collar counties.

Still, the county and Commonwealth both demonstrated an appetite for reform-minded judges and local progressive office-holders. The fact that turnout has continued to rise with each election cycle means voters, particularly Democrats, are paying close attention to who and what they're voting for — and that could be good news heading into an acrimonious Presidential contest in 2024.