Q&A with Valerie Fleisher, Candidate for Mt. Lebanon School Board

At the same times, kids in school would make fun of him using homophobic slurs or exaggerating how he spoke, and while I didn’t join in I was not yet confident enough to speak out – that experience was one among several that helped me to learn that as uncomfortable as it might feel to […]

Q&A with Kate Lovelace, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-2-31

When I see data about percentages of people with mental health conditions in the jail, I always shake my head because if you didn’t have a mental health condition on the way in, you will on the way out. Allegheny County Jail is not a safe place for our community and if Magistrates aren’t watching […]

Update on Campaign Q&A’s for 2023 Primary Election – Now With More Updates!

Political Q&A

Update: as candidates/campaigns contact me, I’ll try to keep this table below current. I’m not going to revamp the math/data portion because it is intended to be a snapshot of where we were on the date of publication. Please go ahead and ask your candidates to join us! On the heels of the Stonewall Steel […]

Q&A With Lita Brillman, Candidate for City Council District 5

Lita Brillman

This is how I have come to describe my campaign: Community-focused, data-driven. This is the next post of our 2023 primary election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity […]

Q&A with Tracy Royston, Candidate for Pittsburgh City Controller

The Controller’s main focus is to protect taxpayer dollars. I truly believe that the best way to do that is by really talking to people. You cannot just govern from Grant Street. This is the next post of our 2023 primary election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates can be anywhere […]

Q&A with Bethany Hallam, Candidate for Allegheny County Council, At-Large

Bethany Hallam Allegheny County Council

I’ve conducted numerous unannounced inspections of the jail, talking with incarcerated individuals about their concerns and needs. I’ve advocated for trans folks who are incarcerated, and fought to expose the archaic process by which the jail classifies the gender of incarcerated individuals (according to the gender listed by the police in their arrest report). The […]

Behind the Blog with the Political Q&A Series

Political Q&A Pittsburgh

I appreciate your tireless work to illuminate the workings of government and highlight the people who want to be in our elected offices. You provide a lens that broadens a voter’s perspective. Thank you, Sue! ~ Erica Rocchi Brusselars Probably the most common response to my political/campaign Q&A series is some comment on the length/intensity/depth […]

Q&A with Erica Rocchi Brusselars, Candidate for Allegheny County Treasurer

Erica Brusselars

The makeup of that [Retirement] board speaks to the fact that our government still doesn’t look like us. It also speaks to the fact of what happens when leaders, the electorate, or voting groups aren’t intentional about looking for, promoting, and supporting diversity and folks with different experiences and backgrounds. This is the next post […]

Q&A with Abigail Salisbury, Candidate for PA State House District 34

Abigail Salisbury

I was excited to see Governor Shapiro take office and announce that he would keep a kosher kitchen in the Governor’s Mansion.  Most of the time, Jewish observances are mysterious and holidays are sort of an “also-ran,” just mentioned in passing when they have some relationship in time with Christian holidays, and people don’t really […]

Q&A with Rachael Heisler, Candidate for Pittsburgh City Controller

Rachael Heisler

In 1998, the city was in such a bad place fiscally that we needed to issue bonds to make our pension payments. We will make our final payment on that in 2025. We have to look ahead, maintain a healthy fund balance (also known as a “rainy day fund”), and make sure that our fiscal […]