Allegheny County Dems select Lindsay Powell for House special election

PITTSBURGH – On Saturday, Democrats in Allegheny County selected Pittsburgh-area nonprofit director Lindsay Powell to be their nominee in a special election that will determine the balance of power in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 

Powell, who is director of workforce strategies at the economic development coalition InnovatePGH, will run for the House District 21 seat vacated by Sara Innamorato, who is the Democrats’ nominee for Allegheny County Executive. Innamorato announced on July 19 that she was resigning the seat she was first elected to in 2018. That resignation eliminated Democrats’ slim lead in the House and left them tied with Republicans tied 101-101. 

Since it’s a special election, rather than holding a primary members of the county Democratic committee hold a meeting and vote to select their choice. The state Democratic Party will either reject or accept that nomination, but as reported by WESA-FM, the state party usually accepts the local committee’s choice.

The Legislature has yet to approve a budget for the new fiscal year, and Republicans hold a majority in the state Senate. The special election will be held Sept. 19, before the Legislature returns to session. It’s not yet clear whether Powell will face an opponent.