Elections determine who occupies an office. Leadership depends on something more fragile: the confidence of colleagues.

Holding office and holding leadership are not the same thing.

That distinction became clear Friday when Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena resigned.

The decision came after he lost the Democratic primary for the 45th District seat in the state House of Representatives. However, calls for Catena to step down as council president came before that. They started after a mailer his campaign sent out criticizing opponent Brittany Bloam, tying her to groups supporting transgender athletes.

Catena called the move a “misstep.”

The mailer was a questionable decision. Leadership positions depend on trust and confidence, and it is understandable that some council members viewed the episode as reason to reconsider whether Catena should continue serving as president.

Catena has served on council since 2017. The controversy does not erase the work he has done there.

Nor does losing a primary require an elected official to slink away in shame. The halls of power from Washington to Harrisburg to Pittsburgh would be much different places if it did. Catena remains the duly elected representative of District 4. The voters who sent him to council are still entitled to that representation.

But leadership carries different obligations than representation. A council president must build consensus, manage disagreements and maintain the confidence of fellow members. When a majority publicly signaled that confidence had eroded, remaining in the leadership position would have made governing increasingly difficult.

Stepping down as president while remaining on council strikes a reflective middle ground. It respects the voters who elected Catena while acknowledging the concerns raised by his colleagues.

Sometimes the most appropriate response to a loss of confidence is not to ignore it. It is to recognize what it indicates and allow the institution to move forward.

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