Democrats Parker, Innamorato elected first women to lead Philadelphia, Pittsburgh's Allegheny County

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 12:03 AM EST, November 8, 2023


Voters elected two women for the first time to lead Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s second-largest county, installing Democrat Cherelle Parker as the 100th mayor of the state’s largest city and Democrat Sara Innamorato as executive of the county that includes Pittsburgh.

Parker, 51, who has held office at the state and local level after first becoming involved in politics as a teenager, emerged from a crowded field in the May party primary as the only leading Black candidate and was heavily favored over Republican David Oh in the Democratic stronghold city. She will replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who was ineligible for reelection due to term limits.

Across the state in Allegheny County, Innamorato, 37, defeated Republican Joe Rockey, a political newcomer. The former state legislator who campaigned on progressive models to modernize county government will replace Democrat Rich Fitzgerald, who has served in the role since 2012 and was ineligible for reelection due to term limits.

The races will set the electoral stage for 2024, when Pennsylvania will be a presidential battleground state, with candidates taking lessons about how Democrats see crime and the strength of progressives in local races.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-mayor-district-attorney-169b5783547fae96440b71cff3876b50

---

Link to tweet

The Associated Press
@AP
·
Follow
Former City Councilmember Cherelle Parker has been elected as Philadelphia's mayor, making her the first woman to serve in the role.

Parker, a Democrat, will succeed Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, who was prevented by term limit laws from running again. http://bit.ly/47015yb
Image
8:37 PM · Nov 7, 2023

Article updated.

Original article/headline -

Democrat Cherelle Parker is elected as Philadelphia's 100th mayor, 1st woman to hold the office

Updated 8:31 PM EST, November 7, 2023


Cherelle Parker, a Democrat who has held office at the state and local level after first becoming involved in politics as a teenager, was elected Tuesday as Philadelphia's 100th mayor, becoming the first woman to hold the post.

Parker, 51, emerged from a crowded field of Democrats in the May primary and was heavily favored over Republican David Oh in the city, a Democratic stronghold. She will replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who was ineligible for reelection due to term limits.

She campaigned on a promise to make Philadelphia the "safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation that will provide access to economic opportunity for all."

Parker, who served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia before her election to the city council in 2015, touted herself as a leader whose government experience would allow her to address gaping problems in the city.