State Rep. Sara Innamorato on Thursday joined a growing list of candidates who next year will vie for the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County executive.
Ms. Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, made her announcement at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub surrounded by around 50 supporters, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Summer Lee, who was recently elected to the state’s 12th Congressional District.
“Now we’re in this moment,” said Ms. Innamorato. “We have learned many lessons of the good and of the bad that comes with growth. … We have an opportunity and it is now to take the next phase of all its challenges seriously and address them head on. I know together and only together we can tackle the reality that for far too long many in this county day-to-day life is too expensive and it’s too hard. But we have the power to change it.”
She laid out several goals she would focus on if elected, including making property taxes affordable and holding polluters accountable while creating a green economy focused on the region's long-term growth and creating union jobs. Ms. Innamorato also hopes to get to the root cause of violent crimes and provide more mental health supports and youth programming.
She also wants to reform the Allegheny County Jail while putting money into trauma informed care and rehabilitation.
“That’s a long and visionary list and it’s a lot of work to do,” Ms. Innamorato said. “It’s going to require … the ability to build and share power with community organizations, municipal elected leaders, our advocacy organizations, our policy experts and folks all around this county. And it’s not going to happen overnight. Progress, it takes time but there are real and tangible things that we can and should do today. It just takes vision, the will and the people power to get it done.”
Ms. Innamorato was first elected to the state House in 2019. Her district covers parts of Allegheny County including a portion of Pittsburgh, Reserve, Shaler, Etna and Millvale.
During her time in office, she has been part of things like the Whole-Home Repairs program, which provides grants of up to $50,000 to homeowners and loans of up to $50,000 per unit to landlords who own a maximum of five properties. It also includes money for workforce development to make sure there are construction workers trained and ready to perform repairs.
Ms. Innamorato is now one of five candidates, all Democrats, who are seeking to replace outgoing Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald who is term-limited.
Those who have announced their bid for county executive include Erin McClelland, who does policy work for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Dave Fawcett; a former Allegheny County councilman; Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb; and Allegheny County Councilwoman Olivia “Liv” Bennett.
Mr. Lamb announced in November that he was running, suggesting that he wants to focus on ensuring critical services are delivered effectively, and that a fair property tax system is in place to protect homeowners.
He has been city controller since 2008.
Ms. Bennett, who ran for county council in 2019, officially announced her intent to run for county executive this week, focusing on a number of issues related to air quality and the environment, while also spotlighting ongoing problems at the county jail.
“I believe I am perfectly suited to address these issues with empathy, compassion and understanding,” Ms. Bennett said Monday. “I also believe that my lived experience will help to shape a more equitable county that is truly livable for all of us.”
Despite what is seemingly turning out to be a highly contested race, several supporters for Ms. Innamorato attended Thursday’s rally, waving signs showing their support and often chanting “Sara” when she finished her speech.
“Together we can build this region the way we want it built for the next generation,” Mr. Gainey said, suggesting that Ms. Innamorato will work to solve gun violence while standing up to large nonprofits. “That’s what this is all about. ... There’s never been 100% agreement on anything but if you know that a person’s heart is in the right direction and wants to do what’s best for this region, let’s get off the ideology, get in the game, make sure we make it happen and change it so that everybody’s ideology is taken care of. I’m all in for Sara.”
Ms. Lee agreed, adding that the county needs somebody who is committed to the climate crisis, who understands urgencies facing Black and brown constituents, who “understands that the ACJ [Allegheny County Jail)] is inhumane and we have to tackle that right now, today,” and who can balance safety while addressing policing needs.
“That’s why I’m here for Sara today,” Ms. Lee said. “I’m here for Sara because we need a brilliant, talented legislator who is going to be fierce and who is going to stand with us in advocacy and activism and who is also going to stand with us in policy making and execution. We need people who are going to be Day One ready and Sara’s going to be Day One ready because she stands with us and because we’re going to stand with her.”
Megan Tomasic: mtomasic@post-gazette.com
First Published: December 15, 2022, 6:27 p.m.
