Sara Innamorato’s state House exit triggers Allegheny County special election

Allegheny County will see another special election this September, the fourth time in 2023 that voters in the county will pick a replacement for state representative.

With State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, resigning to focus on her run for Allegheny County Executive, the 21st state House District is vacant and needs a new representative.

“Throughout my time as a Representative, my constituents’ stories inspired and drove my legislative priorities around creating safe and healthy communities where we can all thrive,” said Innamorato in a statement. “Together, we’ve done amazing things to improve our region, and I am excited to continue serving our neighbors for years to come.”

District 21 includes Shaler, Etna, Reserve, Millvale and sections of the city of Pittsburgh like the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Troy Hill, Polish Hill, Spring Hill, as well as parts of East Allegheny, Bloomfield, and Stanton Heights.

The vacancy comes at a tenuous time in Harrisburg. Negotiations over the state budget have stalled and the state capitol has come to a stand still. The District 21 vacancy also means the state House is now tied with 101 Republican and Democratic lawmakers each.

Filling the vacancy quickly appears to be a priority for Democrats, who are hoping to regain their 1-seat majority before the state House comes back into session.

House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, scheduled a special election for Sep. 19, the soonest an election could be scheduled under state law.

State Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, said Thursday at a press conference in Harrisburg that the impasse over the budget was likely to extend until October.

Political parties will choose nominees for the special election, and Democrats have already scheduled their nominating convention with at least five candidates showing interest, according to Allegheny County Democratic Committee Chair Sam Hens-Greco.

The Democratic nominating convention will be held on July 29 at the Tripoli Street Community Center in Pittsburgh’s North Side. Democratic committee members within District 21 will vote during the convention, which is not open to the general public.

Hens-Greco said that five candidates have shown interest so far: Shaler school board member Elizabeth Dunn, lawyer Ian Everhart, gun-reform advocate Josh Fleitman, nonprofit worker and URA board member Lindsay Powell, and Chris Rosselot, a former staffer to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

Candidates have until Monday to file with the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. A candidate forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, at the Teamsters hall in Lawrenceville, said Hens-Greco.

Republicans have not yet scheduled a nominating convention and there are no updates yet on possible Republican candidates, said Republican Committee of Allegheny County chair Sam DeMarco.

The nominees chosen by the local parties will be placed on the ballot, and then the special election on Sept. 19 will be open to all registered voters within District 21.