Polls for Pennsylvania’s primary election are closed.
Executive Decision
For the first time in 12 years, Allegheny County voters will elect a new county chief executive.
Headlining Tuesday’s contests locally was the crowded and contentious Democratic primary for Allegheny County executive, which has no incumbent in the running for the first time since 2011 with current Executive Rich Fitzgerald hitting a term limit. Six Democrats stepped forward to seek the nomination to replace Fitzgerald, presenting differing governing styles and views on key issues like pollution control, juvenile detention, the Allegheny County Jail, property tax assessments and more.
Republican voters had one option, former banker Joe Rockey.
Read about all of the county executive candidates in PublicSource’s voter guide.
Reports from the polls
Kristen Kerns, 42, of Mount Washington, said she has voted at her polling place on Merrimac Street for 20 years, and John Weinstein’s candidacy for county executive motivated her to come out this time.
“He’s the most credible candidate. His work with dogs really made me like him,” she said. “He also helps seniors raise money.” She also cited Weinstein’s experience as county treasurer.
Jameel Bey, 45, of Mount Washington said he voted for John Weinstein for county executive and Stephen A. Zappala Jr. for district attorney because, he said, “I want to see change and bring programming and services for our youth.”
Larissa Russo, a 32-year-old small business owner, showed up to the polls Downtown to support Dave Fawcett’s bid for county executive. She said she values his experience outside of politics — Fawcett is an attorney — and appreciates his focus on environmental issues. She’d like the county to have cleaner, safer and better-connected parks.
“I'm a regular voter, but because of the county executive seat being open specifically, I made sure I had it on my calendar, ready to go,” Russo said.
Linda King, a 62-year-old lawyer voting in Squirrel Hill, said she votes in every election. It’s crucial, she said, “even if the only person on the ticket is the dog catcher.” This year, King came out to the polls to support her friends Jill Beck and Pat Sweeney in judicial races. Beck is vying for a spot on Superior Court, while Sweeney takes aim at the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. King also came out to cast her vote for Innamorato as the next county executive.
“I vacillated for a while but, you know, it seemed like just the same old white men running,” King said. “I can't imagine that things could get any worse with a bright young woman in the room.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey showed up to the Ascension Roman Catholic Church in Windgap to talk with voters. “If you are an elected official, you still need to show up at polls,” he said.
Allegheny County executive candidate Dave Fawcett greeted voters at Burchfield Primary School in Allison Park as the after-work voters filed in. “With all the recent political infighting, people are looking for a change,” Fawcett said. “I think there’s going to be a surprise tonight.” (Photos by Quinn Glabicki/PublicSource)
Jordan Corcoran arrived to vote at Shaler Elementary, pushing a stroller with her two kids, Griffin and Ruby.
The stakes of this election, she said, include “us being more united as a city. We don’t need to agree on everything, but we need to be able to coexist and work together” on important issues.
She listed education, women’s rights and mental health as priorities. She left having cast a vote for Sara Innamorato for county executive. She said her vote came down to “not only experience in the job, but [the candidate’s] open mindedness and ability to handle intense environments with calmness and open-mindedness.”
She looked down at her kids. “I want to be teaching them: This is what we do,” she said.
“Vote for who makes the rules,” said her young son, Griffin.
Freeman Pamplin voted at New Light Temple Baptist Church on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in his lifelong neighborhood of the Hill District.
Pamplin, who is a Democratic committeeman and works as a maintenance technician, said coming out to the polls is a social event for him. He said people are concerned about the development of the Hill, displacement and promises that have been made to the neighborhood by business and political leaders that they feel have not been met.
“There’s a lot of money moving but we’re not seeing much development,” he said. “I’d like to get new blood in there, a different spin. That might wake the politicians up so they stop lying to the people.”
Raymond Robinson lost his election for Democratic committeeman by one vote in 2018. He ran again in 2022 and won, hoping to do more to encourage voter participation than his predecessor, who he said was usually absent from the polls. On Tuesday evening, Robinson greeted voters with voter guides and bags of chips at a Brighton Heights polling place.
Robinson voted for Michael Lamb for executive, though he said he was torn between him and Innamorato. He ultimately went with Lamb because he thinks Innamorato is a strong legislator and she could continue in that post.
He wore a shirt and pin for district attorney candidate Matt Dugan, who is challenging Zappala. He said he backed Zappala’s unsuccessful opponent in 2019, too, and he’s hoping a “reinvigorated grassroots” Democratic committee will translate to a win for Dugan tonight.
Emily Kochanski, a 23-year-old nursing student at Pittsburgh Technical College, said some of her friends in Pittsburgh didn’t even know there was an election today — but in her eyes, these local elections aren’t any less impactful than national contests. She said she especially paid attention to issues in the Allegheny County Jail as she headed to the polls.
“Local politics is the place to start if you actually want change, and especially if you want the place you live to reflect the values you have,” said Kochanski. “You have to actually put effort into that, and that means voting in smaller elections that don't get as much media coverage.”
What else was on the ballot?
County executive candidates have aired the most television ads, but there are other important offices on the ballot today.
Longtime District Attorney Zappala faced the political fight of his life, trying to defend his record against progressive challenger Dugan. Dugan’s campaign has been backed by more than $700,000 in advertising from a political action committee that has funded progressive prosecutor campaigns throughout the country. There is nobody on the Republican ballot running for DA, and some in the GOP have suggested writing in Zappala’s name, which could set up a Dugan-Zappala rematch in the general election if Dugan prevails today.
There’s been a spirited campaign for county controller, an office that will be tasked with holding accountable the next executive. Corey O’Connor, current controller and former Pittsburgh councilman, is trying to win a full term in the position after being appointed to fill a vacancy last year. Challenging him is Darwin Leuba, a first-time candidate who has been involved in local progressive campaigns for several years.
Voters will also choose city and borough councilors, elections that could impact the trajectory of the rest of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s first term in office, as well as county council members, who will influence the new county executive’s leadership.
When will we know the winners?
Compared to some statewide or national races, Tuesday’s county results should be known relatively quickly. The count of all mail-in ballot results will be published just after 8 p.m., and precinct results will be added gradually between 8:30 p.m. and midnight. While it could take days to learn the outcome of any exceptionally close race, most outcomes should be known before the calendar turns to Wednesday.
Find results as they are posted by the county here.
Check PublicSource.org for updates as winners are declared, and follow @publicsourcepa and @chwolfson on Twitter for updates throughout the evening.
More resources
Find out where the millions of dollars funding executive candidates came from.
Read about the county executive debate hosted by PublicSource and NEXTpittsburgh in April, featuring all seven candidates.
Learn candidates’ views on government transparency and ethics reform.
See where candidates stand on property tax reassessment.
Explore the role crime and public safety have taken in this election cycle.
Read about how the next executive will influence the county’s sprawling unelected power structure.
Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter and a Report for America corps member. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org or on Twitter @chwolfson.
