Sara Innamorato dismisses criticism of Joe Rockey in Allegheny County leadership race

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In her first televised interview since the primary, Democrat Sara Innamorato dismissed a number of accusations made by her Republican opponent, Joe Rockey. She says she’s the right fit for the Allegheny County Executive.

In the contested Allegheny County leadership race, when KDKA-TV political editor Jon Delano sat down with Rockey, who calls himself a centrist Republican who would never support Donald Trump, Rockey didn’t delayed in tagging Innamorato.

“The left and the right have a fringe on the other side that’s stopping us from moving this country forward and will stop us from moving the county forward. My opponent is from that far left,” Rockey said.

Delano: “Are you a Democratic Socialist?”

Innamorato: “I’m a Democrat. If you look for me on the voters list, you’ll see Democrat next to my name.”

Delano: “Are you a socialist?”

Innamorato: “No, I’m not. I’m a Democrat.”

Innamorato makes no apologies for her progressive views and says she also has Republican support.

“People voted Republican in the ballot, and then they voted for me, and what they’re saying is ‘you care about my family. You care about my community,'” Innamorato said.

Rockey claims Innamorato is beholden to a union that injected thousands into his campaign: the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU.

“The SEIU has undue influence in the city of Pittsburgh, and one of my biggest opponents is the SEIU, and I believe they are doing it in an effort to have the same influence in the county of Pittsburgh. ‘Allegheny,” Rockey said. said.

Delano: “Will the SEIU run Allegheny County if you’re elected?”

Innamorato: “I’m incredibly proud to be the most pro-union candidate.”

Innamorato says his hiring will be driven by a transition team looking for the most qualified people, not union membership.

Rockey, a 59-year-old retired senior PNC Bank executive, says voters should be worried that his 37-year-old opponent has never led a $3 billion county government with 7,500 employees like he did it to the PNC.

Delano: “Is that a fair criticism?”

Innamorato: “So I am the only person in this race who has been elected and who has been able to work with different levels of government, community actors, people of all political ideologies to draft transformative legislation, to get it passed. “

The Democrat says her opponent, a business executive, does not have elective or governmental experience like her.

Voters will choose between Democrat Innamorato and Republican Rockey on November 7.

Jon Delano

Jon Delano is a familiar face at KDKA, having been the station’s political analyst since 1994. In September 2001, Jon joined KDKA full-time as Money & Politics Editor and the only political analyst in that region who covers national and local issues affecting hometown residents.

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