Joseph Sabino Mistick: Voters want public officials who govern

Our local political fever may have broken last Tuesday in Allegheny County’s general election. In both the county executive and district attorney races, after a string of recent successes by progressive candidates, the voters brought local politics back toward the center. That may be good for the entire region.

Democrat Sara Innamorato, whose bona fide progressive credentials and Democratic Socialists of America beginnings became a big campaign issue, barely beat middle-of-the-road Republican Joe Rockey in the county executive race, despite a 2-1 Democratic voter registration advantage.

That’s a big change from the earlier successful races of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman. Outflanking and catching traditional Democrats by surprise, those progressives scored big election victories. But they have encountered problems when it comes to governing, and it appears that many voters have responded with concern.

Gainey’s mishandling of public safety — reducing police funding, effectively tying police officers’ hands, de facto decriminalization of certain street crimes — became a big enough issue in this election cycle that it seemed, at times, he was on the ballot. He was not. But his policies became central themes in the races for district attorney and county executive, making a difference in both.

After her narrow victory, Innamorato got a quick start, announcing her transition team the next day. It properly includes her friends and supporters, but it may be too much like Gainey’s transition team for many voters. County government cannot replicate the empty slogan­eering that has characterized so many city operations.

Keeping her campaign promise to “build a county for all of us,” Innamorato should consider expanding her transition team to include more professionals, organized labor representatives and business managers with deep community ties. That will attract future board members and public managers with the experience and competence to effectively run things — not just those who share her values.

Innamorato and the reelected District Attorney Steve Zappala must work together to keep us safe. Zappala, a law-and-order Democrat who ran on the Republican ticket after losing the primary to progressive Democrat Matt Dugan, put the public safety crisis front and center in the DA’s race. The voters rejected the progressive criminal justice agenda that has failed elsewhere, and they gave Zappala an unorthodox victory — and a mandate.

On election night, Zappala did not stop talking about possible strategies to save Downtown Pittsburgh from decline and ensure safer neighborhoods. Pittsburgh’s South Side, a regional entertainment and residential asset, is just one example of a public safety crisis that requires a united front if the community is to be saved.

If that means more county funding for the district attorney’s office — for more investigators or prosecutors or surveillance technology — the county executive should find a way.

Other issues — women’s health care and election security — were important in this election, but this was partly a contest about ideology. The voters of Allegheny County raised a caution flag against some of the untried or tried-and-failed policies of the new progressives.

They want public officials who set clear, achievable goals and work together to get them accomplished. They want public officials who hire and appoint competent individuals who know how to get things done professionally and legally. They want public officials who govern.