Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling

Democratic Party

Candidate, Allegheny County Council District 1

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Duquesne University

Graduate

Chatham University

Personal

Birthplace

Sewickley, Pa.

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Fundraiser

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Allegheny County Council to represent District 1 in Pennsylvania. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. She advanced from the Democratic primary on May 20, 2025.

Madonna-Emmerling completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree from Duquesne University and a graduate degree from Chatham University. Her career experience includes working as a fundraiser. She has been affiliated with Indivisible West Hills and Airport Area Action.

Elections

2025

See also: Municipal elections in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (2025)

General election

General election for Allegheny County Council District 1

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling and Mary Jo Wise are running in the general election for Allegheny County Council District 1 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling (D)
		Mary Jo Wise (R)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Allegheny County Council District 1

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling defeated Carl Villella in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Council District 1 on May 20, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling	76.2	7,464
		Carl Villella	23.4	2,293
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	41

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Allegheny County Council District 1

Mary Jo Wise advanced from the Republican primary for Allegheny County Council District 1 on May 20, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Jo Wise	97.7	4,304
		Other/Write-in votes	2.3	100

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,404
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Madonna-Emmerling received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Allegheny County Democratic Committee
• Allegheny County (PA) Democratic Committee
• North Hills Progressives
• Pitt College Democrats
• Steel City Stonewall Democrats
• Young Democrats of Allegheny County

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Madonna-Emmerling's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Kathleen’s community-centered life demonstrates her Democratic values. Her public

advocacy as a 9-year Trustee not only protected Moon Public Library from censorship, but also maintained relationships resulting in budget increases and renovation. As a refugee housing specialist, she negotiated with landlords and secured safe, affordable housing for 200 evacuees in 90 days. Kathleen fights for workers as an organizer for the United Steelworkers/Union of Pitt Staff campaign. She’s strengthened local grassroots infrastructure by organizing and chairing Airport Area Action PAC. She’s a lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh suburbs, first-generation college graduate, church and school volunteer, and non-profit fundraising professional. Kathleen resides in Moon with her husband Ed and three teenagers. Kathleen is a fighter. She’ll fight for affordable senior and child services, robust transportation options, and sustainable development. With a long record of

community-building, trust Kathleen to lead with compassion, fairness, and tenacity.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Our aging population requires more senior-specific services close to home. Kathleen will work with the County Aging Division and Health Department to expand senior centers, subsidize in-home care programs, and improve transportation options for elderly residents.
• High property taxes strain homeowners and prevent first-time home ownership. We will devote the time, energy and resources needed to ensure District 1 residents get what they're paying for. Relying on data-driven analysis of the needs of our community, Kathleen will extend efficient, effective services are accessible to the edges of Allegheny County. We must push our state legislature to pass equitable state funding for schools and essential services to reduce the tax burden on individual homeowners and give all our kids a great education. Work with the PA Legislature to create a uniform reassessment formula to stop unpredictable and unfair changes.
• I took my book ban battle to the press when I realized public comment wasn't getting the job done. Our township supervisors were inundated with messages shaming their policy choices. Not only did the Supervisors go on to reappoint me to the Library Board, the four GOP members they placed on the board voted me President. I also negotiated the first budget increase in over a decade, and, as of this week, the Township has paid for the library to double its size. I know I can build lasting relationships with rivals that can advance the policies we believe in.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Allegheny County Council will make decisions that can affect your healthcare, wages, housing, and transportation for decades. I want you to know that I can be reasoned with, but I absolutely cannot and will not be bullied or bought. I want to continue the work of ethics reform on council. The county has implemented additional checks on campaign finance and board/committee appointments, and I want to see it through to broad and strong enforcement and penalties for violators. Many of the most impactful powers of council can only pass with a supermajority of 10 votes. This election is a pivotal time to gain seats needed to raise permitting fees for polluters and put forth legislation allowing council more robust oversight.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

We need to elect folks to council who realize that our residents health, safety, and livelihoods are at stake. It's not a retirement hobby, but a job that requires energy, curiosity, humility, and a deep desire to help the people of Allegheny County.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like people to remember me as a person who used her time and talents to improve her community and help people get access to what they need to thrive.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was McDonald's. I was lucky enough to run most of the birthday parties, and that was a really good time. You never see anyone resting at McDonald's, lol. I worked there 2 years until high school graduation. I won the Tri-County McDonald's college scholarship which helped me afford college.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Allegheny County Democratic Committee

Allegheny County Young Democrats (recommended)
Steel-City Stonewall Democrats
North Hills Progressive Neighbors
University of Pittsburgh Democrats
United Steelworkers-District 10
Moms Demand Action GUN SENSE Candidate Distinction
Allegheny County Treasurer: Erica Rocchi Brusselars
Sitting Allegheny County Council Members: Bethany Hallam, Dan Grzybek, Bob Macey, Nick Futules, Jack Betkowski

Former County Council Members: Tom Duerr, Mike Crossey

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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