Municipal elections in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (2023)
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| 2023 Allegheny County elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 7, 2023 & August 1, 2023 |
| Primary election: May 16, 2023 General election: November 7, 2023 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: County chief executive, controller, district attorney, treasurer, county council, and court of common pleas judges |
| Total seats up: 35 |
| Election type: Partisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2023 |
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, held general elections for county chief executive, controller, district attorney, treasurer, county council, and court of common pleas judges on November 7, 2023. A primary was scheduled for May 16, 2023. The filing deadline for the primary was March 7, 2023, and the filing deadline for the general election was August 1, 2023.
In the general election for district attorney, Democratic Incumbent Stephen Zappala ran as a Republican after losing the Democratic primary to Allegheny County Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan. Zappala defeated Dugan 51.6% to 48.4% in the general election. After winning re-election, Zappala said he would remain a Democrat.[1] Click here to learn more.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
Offices up for election in 2023:
Chief executive
General election
General election for Allegheny County Executive
Sara Innamorato defeated Joseph Rockey in the general election for Allegheny County Executive on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sara Innamorato (D) | 51.2 | 188,232 |
 | Joseph Rockey (R) | 48.6 | 178,749 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 569 | ||
| Total votes: 367,550 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Allegheny County Executive
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Executive on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sara Innamorato | 37.6 | 64,982 |
| John Weinstein | 29.5 | 50,935 | ||
 | Michael Lamb | 19.8 | 34,147 | |
| Dave Fawcett | 9.7 | 16,712 | ||
| Theresa Colaizzi | 2.1 | 3,663 | ||
 | William Parker | 1.1 | 1,961 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 228 | ||
| Total votes: 172,628 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Olivia Bennett (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Allegheny County Executive
Joseph Rockey advanced from the Republican primary for Allegheny County Executive on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joseph Rockey | 94.5 | 44,983 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 5.5 | 2,634 | ||
| Total votes: 47,617 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Controller
General election
General election for Allegheny County Controller
Incumbent Corey O'Connor defeated Robert C. Howard in the general election for Allegheny County Controller on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Corey O'Connor (D) | 66.8 | 242,933 |
| Robert C. Howard (R) | 33.1 | 120,238 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 307 | ||
| Total votes: 363,478 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Allegheny County Controller
Incumbent Corey O'Connor defeated Darwin Leuba in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Controller on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Corey O'Connor | 81.4 | 135,666 |
 | Darwin Leuba | 18.4 | 30,719 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 381 | ||
| Total votes: 166,766 | |||
| = 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 Controller
Robert C. Howard defeated incumbent Corey O'Connor in the Republican primary for Allegheny County Controller on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Robert C. Howard (Write-in) | 90.1 | 10,119 | |
| Corey O'Connor (Write-in) | 9.9 | 1,113 | |
| Total votes: 11,232 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
District attorney
Incumbent Stephen Zappala defeated Matt Dugan in the general election for district attorney. Zappala, a Democrat, ran as a Republican in the general election after Dugan defeated Zappala in the Democratic primary.[2]
Zappala was first appointed district attorney in 1998 to replace outgoing D.A. Robert Colville.[3] Dugan was Allegheny County Chief Public Defender from 2020 to 2023.[4] Click here to learn more.
General election
General election for Allegheny County District Attorney
Incumbent Stephen Zappala defeated Matt Dugan in the general election for Allegheny County District Attorney on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Stephen Zappala (R) | 51.4 | 189,230 | |
 | Matt Dugan (D) | 48.5 | 178,653 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 380 | ||
| Total votes: 368,263 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Allegheny County District Attorney
Matt Dugan defeated incumbent Stephen Zappala in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County District Attorney on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Dugan | 55.6 | 94,974 |
| Stephen Zappala | 44.3 | 75,575 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 196 | ||
| Total votes: 170,745 | |||
| = 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 District Attorney
Incumbent Stephen Zappala defeated Matt Dugan in the Republican primary for Allegheny County District Attorney on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Stephen Zappala (Write-in) | 93.9 | 9,714 | |
| Matt Dugan (Write-in) | 6.1 | 632 | |
| Total votes: 10,346 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Treasurer
General election
General election for Allegheny County Treasurer
Erica Brusselars defeated Herb Ohliger in the general election for Allegheny County Treasurer on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Erica Brusselars (D) | 61.2 | 218,923 |
| Herb Ohliger (R) | 38.7 | 138,282 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 415 | ||
| Total votes: 357,620 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Allegheny County Treasurer
Erica Brusselars defeated Anthony Coghill in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Treasurer on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Erica Brusselars | 66.0 | 104,619 |
 | Anthony Coghill | 33.7 | 53,431 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 475 | ||
| Total votes: 158,525 | |||
| = 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 Treasurer
Herb Ohliger defeated Anthony Coghill in the Republican primary for Allegheny County Treasurer on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Herb Ohliger (Write-in) | 93.8 | 10,396 | |
| Anthony Coghill (Write-in) | 6.2 | 687 | |
| Total votes: 11,083 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
County council
General election
Allegheny County Council general election, 2023 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| At-large (2 seats) |
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| District 2 |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 10 |
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Carl Redwood (Independent) |
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| District 11 |
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Robert McCune (United We Stand) |
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| District 13 |
Sam Schmidt (Independent) |
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Primary
Allegheny County Council primaries, 2023 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| At-large (2 seats) |
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| District 2 |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 10 |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 11 |
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| District 13 |
Did not make the ballot: |
No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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Judicial offices
Court of Common Pleas
General election
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas general election, 2023 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas |
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Primary
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas primaries, 2023 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas |
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Retention election
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas retention elections, 2023 | |
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| Office | Candidates |
| Christine Ward's seat |
 Christine A. Ward (i) |
| Eleanor Bush's seat |
Eleanor Bush (i) |
| Jennifer Satler's seat |
Jennifer Satler (i) |
| Jill Rangos' seat |
Jill E. Rangos (i) |
| Lawrence O'Toole's seat |
Lawrence J. O'Toole (i) |
| Paul Cozza's seat |
Paul E. Cozza (i) |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2023
February 7, 2023
May 16, 2023
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2023
- Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2023
- City elections in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2023)
- Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pennsylvania, elections (2023)
September 19, 2023
November 7, 2023
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
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Candidate survey
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About the county
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | |
| Population | 1,250,578 | 13,002,700 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 729 | 44,741 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 76.9% | 75.8% |
| Black/African American | 12.5% | 10.7% |
| Asian | 4.1% | 3.7% |
| Native American | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Other (single race) | 1.1% | 3.4% |
| Multiple | 5.2% | 6.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.8% | 8.4% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 95.5% | 91.9% |
| College graduation rate | 44.8% | 34.5% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $76,393 | $76,081 |
| Persons below poverty level | 11.2% | 11.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Noteworthy events
Allegheny County District Attorney Republican write-in campaign (2023)
On May 16, 2023, Stephen Zappala lost the Democratic primary for Allegheny County District Attorney 56%-44% to Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan. Dugan had the support of progressive groups, including the Pennsylvania Justice and Public Safety PAC, which contributed nearly $2M to his campaign.[5]
Referring to Zappala's loss in the Democratic primary, former Gov. Tom Corbett (R) said, "The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has been growing in influence within Allegheny County. ... We thought that might happen — and when I say 'we,' I mean the county chair of the Republican Party and myself." Corbett added, "The experience of Mr. Zappala, who I've worked with when I was attorney general, is very important to the people of Allegheny County."[6]
No candidate filed to run in the Republican primary, and county Republicans, including Corbett, helped organize a simultaneous write-in campaign for Zappala in that primary.[6] Zappala won the Republican nomination with 9,714 write-in votes (93.9%) on May 16, and defeated Dugan 52%-48% in the November 7 general election.
After winning re-election, Zappala said he would remain a Democrat.[7]
See also
| Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, “Pittsburgh Voters Stop a Soros-Backed Prosecutor Candidate,” November 10, 2023
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Pittsburgh Voters Stop a Soros-Backed Prosecutor Candidate," November 10, 2023
- ↑ Wayback Machine, “Judges elect Zappala new district attorney,” accessed January 11, 2024
- ↑ WESA, “A guide to the 2023 Allegheny County district attorney election: Matt Dugan vs. Stephen Zappala, October 9, 2023
- ↑ 90.5 WESA, "A guide to the 2023 Allegheny County district attorney election: Matt Dugan vs. Stephen Zappala," October 9, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Strange bedfellows: Primary loss forces Zappala to forge unconventional alliances," August 19, 2023
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, “Pittsburgh Voters Stop a Soros-Backed Prosecutor Candidate,” November 10, 2023
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