State Rep. Sara Innamorato, one of the key figures in a progressive movement that has had an impact at almost every level of government in Allegheny County, is launching a campaign for county executive.
“Our region is at a critical moment,” Innamorato told WESA prior to a campaign kickoff event Thursday morning in Millvale. “We've seen a lot of change in who our leaders are over the last couple of years. And now, we have an opportunity to put someone in that seat who is forward-thinking, progressive and has a track record of working with diverse groups of people to get things done. And I'm that person.”
Innamorato is seeking to replace outgoing incumbent Rich Fitzgerald, who is term-limited and cannot run again next year. The race marks another opportunity for a movement to shake up the county’s once-staid power structure, and it follows a successful Congressional campaign this fall by Summer Lee, as well as Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s victory in 2021.
“To me, it's the ultimate doer position,” Innamorato said. “We have an extremely large budget at the county level, and that's money that impacts people day to day.”
Innamorato previously worked in nonprofit groups involved in progressive change. She and Lee were both elected to the House in 2018 after triumphing over long-tenured incumbents with the last name “Costa.”
Lee may have earned more headlines since then, thanks to her Congressional run and a high-profile effort to elect progressives to other levels of government. But Innamorato, whose collegial approach is praised by Harrisburg insiders, has not been idle. She was part of this year's successful Whole-Home Repairs initiative, which will provide lower-income homeowners — and small landlords who keep rent increases reasonable and their properties in good repair — up to $50,000 to rehabilitate their homes and make them more energy-efficient. The program also funds workforce training in the field.
Innamorato sponsored a House version of a bill that was also introduced in the Senate, where much of the negotiation around the proposal took place. But Innamorato notes that the funding was included in this year's state budget at a time when Democrats were in the minority in both chambers.
“I've shown that I can work across the aisle and draft legislation that doesn't compromise on my values but finds where my convictions overlap with those of my colleagues,” she said.
Housing is a key concern for Innamorato. She grew up in Ross, in what seemed like a stable home — until it was rocked by her father's struggles with opioid addiction. Multiple moves taught her that her childhood stability "was actually quite precarious," she said. In her current home of Lawrenceville, she said, she’s seen similar traumas caused not by drug addiction but by economic factors.
“I’ve seen how people have no longer been able to afford to stay there,” she said.
As county executive, Innamorato said she would pursue a countywide housing plan that would “invite the type of development we know is needed in different areas. Because some areas do need market-rate development. [In] others, we need to make sure the emphasis is on affordability."
The plan would address everything "from how to help the population of folks who are currently unhoused [to] how we create more opportunities for families to build equity, [or] how we can make sure that seniors can age in place," she said.
Like other candidates for county executive, Innamorato said there is no easy fix to another housing challenge: a long dysfunctional tax-assessment system. But she said policies like “circuit breaker” tax credits could at least protect lower-income residents and others from being overburdened.
She was more forceful in criticizing the county’s criminal justice system and calling for stricter regulation of polluters.
“Our jail has committed human rights violations,” she said bluntly. Much of the criticism has focused on Warden Orlando Harper, and while Innamorato said the facility “absolutely” needs new leadership, “removing a single person from this broken system doesn't fix the system overnight," she added.
And she said that when it came to attracting investment and regulating pollution, the county needed a more “holistic” understanding of economic growth. “When we're looking at the cost of a fine or we're looking at job creation, we also need to consider that when people get sick because of their surroundings, that also has a negative economic impact.”
Innamorato said Fitzgerald deserved credit for "stabilizing our population. We went from heavy manufacturing and heavy polluting industries to more of the eds and meds." But too often, she said, that transition has involved "bringing in revenue and economic growth but not ensuring that that prosperity has been shared."
Innamorato is the latest entrant to a field of Democratic contenders that includes former Congressional candidate Erin McClelland and City Controller Michael Lamb. Also joining the race this week are county councilor Liv Bennett and attorney Dave Fawcett.
If elected. Innamorato would be the first woman to hold the post. She said that at its best "government is a reflection of us as a people," but that more significant would be “the lived experience and the talents I could bring."
“I think what voters are going to decide in this election is if we want more of the same," she said, "or if we’re going to elect a leader that’s going to be a visionary.”
