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 […]

Phil Ameris, Pres of Construction Worker’s Union, Disparages Affordable Housing, Working Class Families

Philip Ameris

For your consideration from a PublicSource article about the hotly contested campaign for Allegheny County Chief Executive: Phil Ameris, president of the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, added that Weinstein will “be a fair voice for both labor and development,” and in a dig at more progressive candidates, said he will represent more than […]

Need Your Help to Get More #ProtectTransKids Yard Signs Into Suburbs. Here’s Why …

Protect Trans Kids

From Politico:  More than 180 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced so far this legislative session, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, with dozens centered on restricting transgender students in school. Last year, state legislators introduced 315 anti-LGBTQ bills, according to the Human Rights Campaign. More than 90 percent of the legislation failed as only 29 […]

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 […]

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 […]

It is Time for Campaign Q&A’s for the 2023 Primary Election

Political Q&A

Each election cycle, our blog publishes Q&A’s with candidates for elected office. You can see previous Q&A’s at this link. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity for candidates to connect with the LGBTQ community, progressive neighbors, and […]

Extreme Right Wingers Target Pittsburgh ‘Donuts and Drag’ Campaign Event

It is not going to stop …. Rachael Heisler is running for the office of City Controller. She currently serves as deputy Controller in that office. A friend of Heisler’s offered to coordinate one of her campaign kick-off events a ‘Donuts and Drag’ morning event with donuts and a drag artist performing holiday tunes. The […]

US Senate to Vote on Respect for Marriage Act – Call Today

lesbian wedding

Today, the United States Senate may hold a procedural vote to forward the process of passing the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ – federal recognition of marriage equality. The Respect for Marriage Act, abbreviated as RFMA (H.R. 8404, S. 4556), is a bill in the United States Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity […]