The 2023 Allegheny County Executive election was held on November 7, 2023, to elect the next chief executive of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The incumbent county executive, Rich Fitzgerald, was ineligible to run for a fourth consecutive term due to term limits. The 2023 election was thus the first open seat race for county executive since Fitzgerald was elected in 2011, and the winner would become the fourth individual to hold the position of county executive since it was established under the home-rule charter in 2000, following Jim Roddey, Dan Onorato, and Fitzgerald.
The primary election was held on May 16. State Representative Sara Innamorato won the Democratic primary, while businessman Joe Rockey was unopposed in the Republican primary. Innamorato's nomination was seen as a major victory for the progressive movement in Allegheny County, continuing a trend that includes the election of Ed Gainey as mayor of Pittsburgh in 2021, and Summer Lee to the U.S. House in 2022. However, it was also an unexpectedly close result, with Innamorato's margin of 2.6% vastly underperforming Fitzgerald's 2019 margin of 36.5%.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Sara Innamorato, former state representative from the 21st district (2019–2023)
Eliminated in primary Theresa Colaizzi, former Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Dave Fawcett, lawyer and former Republican at-large county councilor (1999–2007) Michael Lamb, Pittsburgh city controller, former Allegheny County prothonotary (2000–2008), candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2013, and candidate for Pennsylvania auditor general in 2020 Will Parker, mobile app developer and candidate for in 2022 John Weinstein, Allegheny County treasurer
Withdrew Liv Bennett, county councilor from the 13th district (endorsed Weinstein) Erin McClelland, psychologist and nominee for in 2014 and 2016 (endorsed Weinstein)
Declined Bethany Hallam, at-large county councilor (running for reelection)
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin SaraInnamorato MichaelLamb JohnWeinstein DaveFawcett Other UndecidedPublic Opinion StrategiesEarly May 2023400 (LV)± 4.9%32%20%20%8%–18%Public Opinion StrategiesEarly March 2023459 (LV)± 4.0%17%24%28%1%2%26%
Results
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Joe Rockey, former PNC Financial Services executive
Results
General election Post-primary endorsements
Results
Notes
Partisan clients
References
External links Official campaign websites Sara Innamorato (D) for County Executive Joe Rockey (R) for County Executive