GOP Allegheny County Council candidate Joe Wise passes away

Joe Wise, a Republican candidate for Allegheny County Council and Moon resident, died on Sat., Oct. 30.

Wise was running for Allegheny County Council District 1, which covers sections of Western Allegheny County, and some northern suburbs close to the city. He was 56 years old.

Sam DeMarco, chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Wise had passed away.

“I am absolutely shocked by the news of the death of Joe Wise,” Mr. DeMarco said in a statement from the RCAC. “Personally, I will miss his wonderful sense of humor and his drive to make his community a better place for everyone. On behalf of the entire RCAC family, I extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Mary Jo and Christian.”

Wise's son Christian confirmed to the Post-Gazette that Wise had COVID-19 complications.

Wise will still appear on the ballot for Election Day, and mail-in voting has already begun. Wise is running against Democratic candidate Jack Betkowski.

If he were elected and seated, members of county council have the authority to choose a candidate to replace him. But it’s unclear what the process will be since the winner of November's election won't be seated until January 2022. Political parties, the Republicans in the case that Wise wins, have the ability to replace nominees in situations like this if candidates pass away. After former Allegheny County Councilor Barbara Daly-Danko won a primary election posthumously in 2015, a special election was held in November of that year to fill that seat.

A native of Moon, Wise worked in communications and public relations for years in Washington, D.C., including for former U.S. Rep. Austin J. Murphy. He then returned to Moon in 2006 and served on the board of Moon Township supervisors.

Wise is survived by his wife Mary Jo and his son Christian.

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This story has been updated on Sun., Oct. 31 with Wise's COVID-19 diagnosis.