Sara Innamorato

Sara G. Innamorato is an American politician serving as the county executive of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania since 2024. She was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 21st district from 2019 to 2023.

Early life and education Innamorato was raised in Ross Township and attended the North Hills School District. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in business. She then left the private sector to work in the nonprofit sector, focusing on issues of vacant land reclamation, food justice, and digital equity. She started Innamo Co., an independent marketing firm focused on "social good".

Although Innamorato was unopposed on the ballot, Costa launched a write-in campaign late in the election cycle. Costa went public with the bid following a podcast interview in which Innamorato was quoted saying, "My district, which I know is like white working class, poor folk, who are racist, because it's so much easier for them to look to their side and say, 'I'm going to blame that person. Costa campaign head Gary Britcher argued that Innamorato had called the district "racist".

Innamorato won the general election with 19,985 votes (85%), with Costa and other write-in candidates receiving 3,584 votes (15%). After the election, allegations surfaced that two violations of Pennsylvania campaign finance law were committed by the PAC "Americans Against Socialism," the principal funding mechanism for the marketing firm employed by the Costa write-in campaign.

Innamorato's affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America ended in 2019.

2020 election In 2020, Innamorato was initially opposed by Stephen Zappala III, the son of the Allegheny County District Attorney, for the Democratic Party nomination. Zappala quietly withdrew his candidacy the following month. As a result, Innamorato was unopposed on the ballot for the Democratic Party nomination.

Innamorato defeated Republican challenger John Waugh in the general election.

2023 election In December 2022, Innamorato launched her campaign to become the first female County Executive of Allegheny County. Innamorato won her primary and faced Republican Joseph Rockey in the November general election. She announced her resignation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. She made the decision in order to dedicate more time to her campaign for the role of Allegheny County executive.

Her departure from office resulted in a tie between Democrats and Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, now both with 101 seats. A special election to replace Innamorato took place on September 19, 2023. Democrat Lindsay Powell defeated Republican Erin Connolly Autenreith with over 65% of the vote.

Innamorato was elected in 2023. She is the first woman to hold the position.

Committee assignments Finance Labor & Industry

Environment Innamorato opposes hydraulic fracturing, citing many public health concerns in communities near drilling sites and refineries. She has voted against legislation to grant tax exemptions and incentives to new petrochemical plants, labeling such proposals "corporate welfare". However, Innamorato has also organized public hearings to encourage dialogue between labor unions and anti-fracking organizations, saying she believes the choice between "the environment" and "good union jobs, family sustaining jobs" is "false and ... antiquated."

Innamorato has spoken in favor of Green New Deal legislation, as well as green and sustainable infrastructure development.

Housing Innamorato has spoken in favor of Inclusionary Zoning and Affordable Housing initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Innamorato joined with other lawmakers in calling for a moratorium on evictions.

Public health Innamorato has spoken publicly in favor of instituting a Medicare-for-All type universal health insurance program for Pennsylvania.

Innamorato sponsored legislation intending to end the practice that allowed medical students in Pennsylvania to perform pelvic examinations on unconscious women without their consent.

Innamorato has spoken publicly about struggles with opioid abuse and death from overdose within her own family. She favors what she terms "harm reduction strategies" to combat the epidemic; including policies such as decriminalization and rehabilitation for drug users.

Public transit Innamorato supports improving and expanding public transportation and transit access in her district. She has also stated that she thinks Pennsylvania should "focus on systems that are publicly held that are going to move the most people in the most efficient way possible."

She supported legislation to change the Pennsylvania code, allowing for Parking Protected bike lanes.

Social services Innamorato supports increasing funding and the availability of social services and programs in Pennsylvania. She provided testimony at a public hearing, in opposition to legislation that would end the Pennsylvania General Assistance Program.

Taxation Innamorato advocates for a policy called the "Fair Share Tax Plan". The proposal advocates for several policy initiatives to restructure Pennsylvania's tax system.

Innamorato supported legislation giving Second Class cities in Pennsylvania the legal authority to freeze property taxes for long-time and elderly residents.

2020 presidential election Innamorato publicly endorsed Bernie Sanders for the 2020 Democratic Party Presidential nomination.

Following the suspension of the Sanders campaign, Innamorato signed on to a joint statement calling on Joe Biden to embrace parts of Sanders' campaign platform. Innamorato expressed concerns about Biden's conduct following allegations against him of sexual assault.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

She condemned the DSA for their statement describing the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel as "inevitable" due to "the conditions imposed by Israeli occupation". She countered the sentiment, emphasizing Israel's right to self defense and affirmed her solidarity with the Jewish people as well as the direct victims of the attack.

Innamorato issued a joint statement on October 7, 2024 with Congresswoman Summer Lee and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey which condemned both Hamas and the Israeli military for the organizations' targeting of civilians. Rabbi Yitzi Genack called the statement "tone deaf" given the "false equivalence between Jews defending themselves and attacks and murders and rapes and burnings of Jewish people".

Electoral history