PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Democratic Committee has released its position paper list of confirmations in the May primaries. Several progressive candidates agreed to this, breaking away from the typically time-honored committee elections.
The commission approved longtime Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein as Allegheny County Executive. Weinstein received 545 votes compared to progressive state Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-21st District, who received 457 votes, and Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb, who received 391 votes. Attorney Dave Fawcett received 17 votes.
These four were the only candidates for county executive positions who paid a $7,500 fee to gain the committee’s endorsement. Longtime County Executive Rich Fitzgerald remains term-limited and is not eligible for re-election.
Allegheny County Councilman – Liv Bennet announced on Twitter last month that she did not seek support and criticized the pay structure as “an example of how public office was designed with wealthy people in mind, not the poor or working class.”
The commission overwhelmingly endorsed progressive challenger Matt Dugan as its candidate for Allegheny County District Attorney; he received 820 votes to incumbent Stephen Zappala’s 578 votes. And progressive, incumbent County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, a long-time critic of ACDCshe won the support with 819 votes, against Joanna Doven’s 553 votes.
The endorsements are not binding, but appear on a card sent to registered Democrats in Allegheny County. Many Democrats in the county continue to pursue the county party’s endorsements, despite often high filing fees and lingering questions about what the recommendations mean to voters.
In the May 2022 primary elections, the commission he supported his opponents incumbent state representatives Summer Lee, Jessica Benham and Emily Kinkead; but all three were re-elected. Lee has since been elected to Congress.
In solidly blue Allegheny County, Democrats who win local primaries almost always win the general election in November. This year’s primaries will be held on May 16.
