State Representative Sara Innamorato started the race for Allegheny County Executive in a distant third against Conor Lamb's uncle, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb and John Weinstein, a countywide elected official for the past 25 years. Making matters worse, Weinstein quickly earned the support from the business and developer community who felt threatened by a progressive candidate; Weinstein raised a million dollars in corporate-aligned money in 2 months, allowing him to start his media campaign more than a month before anyone else.
Ethan conducted research that helped show Sara's background and record in Harrisburg made her a uniquely appealing candidate while offering contrast with her opponents by:
Casting Sara as unapologetically progressive and the only progressive in the race. While Lamb and Weinstein tacked toward the center, we saw that Sara's progressive record in Harrisburg coupled with exposing Weinstein's and Lamb's Republican and corporate funding gave Sara a clear path to the nomination.
Offering a vision for the future rooted in affordable housing, making corporations pay their fair share, and improving air and water. While Lamb and Weinstein focused their campaigns on accomplishments from the 1990s and 2000s, Sara offered recent accomplishments in Harrisburg centered on Whole Home Repairs legislation and fighting for workers and, most importantly, a clear vision on what she'd do as County Executive. Sara was the only candidate who made a clear case for what she was going to do rather than focusing just on what she's done.
Having her deliver the message herself. Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have been demonstrating for years that they want elected officials who are progressive and look like the people who live there. That's why we made sure Sara was delivering the message herself, direct to camera, directly to voters.
Despite being outspent, Sara Innamorato won a decisive victory: 38% to Weinstein's 30% and Lamb's 20%.
Partners: Fiona Conroy and Adnaan Muslim at Deliver Strategies, and Anne Wakabayashi and Bill Hyers at The Win Company.