Local elections in Democratic strongholds at both ends of Pennsylvania next month could show how voters feel about progressive candidates and issues such as abortion and crime ahead of the 2024 election
. Philadelphia will get a new mayor, and Allegheny County — where Pittsburgh is the county seat — will see a new executive. Voters there will also decide whether to reelect the district attorney with backing of another party, after his long career as a Democrat. The Nov.
In Philadelphia, Democrat Cherelle Parker, a former state legislator who has had a long political career in the state, will face Republican David Oh, a former City Council member. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, in office for eight years, is term limited. Parker, a moderate, emerged from a crowded field vying for her party’s nomination in the heavily Democratic city. Oh, 63, ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Public safety is also a prominent campaign issue in the Pittsburgh area, where progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato, a former state legislator, and Republican Joe Rockey, a former chief risk officer at PNC bank, are running for Allegheny County executive. The two are seeking to replace term-limited Democrat Rich Fitzgerald, in office since 2012.
During the spring primary for elected prosecutor, Allegheny County's Democratic voters enthusiastically supported the more progressive candidate over the more moderate long-term incumbent. They're back for a rematch in November, with the losing incumbent running as a Republican. The county's chief public defender, Matt Dugan, bested District Attorney Stephen Zappala, who has held the role for more than two decades, by double digits.