Sara Innamorato speaks during the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's Black Caucus candidate forum which includes those running for district attorney and county executive, April 29, 2023, at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Innamorato has been elected the first female county executive in the county’s history. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Arturo Fernandez

Allegheny County voters on Tuesday elected Sara Innamorato, a former state legislator who campaigned on progressive models to modernize county government, as the first woman executive.

Innamorato, 37, defeated Republican Joe Rockey, a political newcomer. She will replace Rich Fitzgerald, also a Democrat, who has served in the role since 2012 and was ineligible for reelection due to term limits.

Her victory is a win for a progressive movement that has sought to win local elections in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles after setbacks on the national level. Our Revolution, born during Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential race and now one of the largest progressive organizations in the country, endorsed Innamorato in the primary.

She campaigned on improving policies at the Allegheny County Jail as part of a “comprehensive public health approach to public safety.” She supports ending mandatory minimums, solitary confinement and high fines and fees for minor offenses. She also advocates for affordable housing and economic growth.

Also in Allegheny County, longtime incumbent Steve Zappala won reelection as district attorney over progressive Democrat Matt Dugan, with Zappala running as a Republican this time after he lost a primary challenge to Dugan.

Zappala’s victory over Dugan was a rematch of the May Democratic primary, which he lost. Zappala received enough write-in votes in the Republican primary to run as its nominee in the general election.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on going away,” Dugan told supporters Tuesday after the result was in, vowing to “fight the good fight.”

Zappala said previously that political partisanship was not important to him and defended his record as DA. He also dismissed Dugan as having out-of-state financial support.

“Quite frankly he’s given assurances and he’s done things that every one of these prosecutors that fit the same mold all across this country have said to their constituents, they get into office and they destroy the city,” Zappala said during a debate. “They destroy a region. I’m not gonna let this guy do that.”