Olivia Bennett drops out of Allegheny County executive, county council primaries

THAT LED TO THAT DECISION. LIVE BENNETT TELLS ME IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION TO PULL OUT OF THE RACE FOR ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE, BUT SHE SAYS IT WAS A DECISION SHE HAD TO MAKE. BUT SHE TELLS ME IT DOESN’T LESSEN HER DISAPPOINT. I WAS HOPEFUL TO ACCOMPLISH JUST SOLUTIONS OF EQUITY FOR LIVE BENNETT THAT WAS PRIORITY. BUT SHE TELLS ME SHE HAD TO LEAVE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE RACE WHEN SHE SAYS HER RUN TAUGHT HER SOMETHING HEARTBREAKING. IT WAS KIND OF A LITMUS TEST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE NOW. IF WE ARE REALLY UPLIFTING BLACK WOMEN IN THIS REGION. AND THE ANSWER IS STILL NO. BENNETT TELLS ME SHE KNEW THAT BASED ON HOW LITTLE SUPPORT SHE HAD. IT’S JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO RUN A RACE ACROSS 130 MUNICIPALITIES THESE BOROUGHS, CITIES, TOWNSHIPS WITH 2 TO 6 PEOPLE. SO BENNETT DECIDED TO NOT ONLY DROP OUT OF HER RUN FOR COUNTY EXEC, BUT SHE ALSO DECIDED TO END HER BID FOR REELECTION TO COUNTY COUNCIL AS A DEMOCRAT. BUT BENNETT SAYS SHE IS STILL RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT FOR THESE FOUR GRANDCHILDREN AND THE COUNTY’S FUTURE. I HAVE GRANDKIDS OUT THE I KNOW I’M LEAVING A WORLD BEHIND, TOO. AND SO WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE ALL WANT THAT TO BE? DO I WANT THAT TO BE AN EQUITABLE WORLD OR DO I WANT THIS TO BE? DO I WANT THEM TO BE FIGHTING THE SAME FIGHTS THAT WE’RE FIGHTING TODAY? ABSOLUTELY NOT. ONCE AGAIN, BENNETT IS STILL RERUNNING FOR HER COUNTY SEAT IN DISTRICT 13, BUT SHE IS RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT. SO THAT MEANS YOU WILL NOT SEE HER NAME ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT. BUT SHE SAYS YOU WILL SEE HER NAME ON YOUR BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH, MARCIE CIPRIANI PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4. MARCY, THANK YOU. AND HERE’S A LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES STILL IN THE RUNNING FOR THE JOB THAT’S CURRENTLY HELD BY RICH FITZGERALD. THERE ARE SIX DEMOCRATS LEFT IN THE RACE, INCLUDING TERESA SHIRLEY, LAZY, WHO WAS NOT PICTURED HERE. THERE’S ALSO ONE REPUBLICAN

With less than two months to go before the Democratic primary, one candidate who was one of the first to announce has withdrawn from the Allegheny County executive race.County Councilmember Olivia Bennett has dropped out of the Democratic primaries for both the county executive and the county council contests, her team confirmed through social media on Tuesday.She tweeted, "a HEARTFELT thank you to everyone that supported me" in these races. Current County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat, took office in 2012 and has reached his term limit. Six Democratic candidates — John Weinstein, Sara Innamorato, Dave Fawcett, Michael Lamb, William Parker and Theresa Sciulli Colaizzi — remain in contention for the party's nomination in the May 16 primary. One Republican is running in the race. Bennett told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that her campaign "was kind of a litmus test to see where we are now, if we are really uplifting Black women in this region. And the answer is still no."In a post published to her campaign site, Bennett highlighted her position as the only Black woman to have been running for county executive, saying, "I am so confused when I hear messages, even from opponents, saying that we need to elect and place BIPOC women in seats of power as these folks hinder the run of a very qualified Black woman."She also told us, “it’s just impossible to run a race across 130 municipalities, boroughs, cities, townships with two to six people.” Bennett had been running in the progressive lane of the Democratic field. Her withdrawal opens up the path for another progressive county executive challenger, state Rep. Sara Innamorato.Bennett plans to run as an independent to keep her District 13 Allegheny County council seat. "I have grandkids I know I'm leaving a world behind to," she said. "So what kind of world do we want that to be? Do I want that to be an equitable world, or do I want them to be fighting the same fights we're fighting? Absolutely not."

PITTSBURGH —

With less than two months to go before the Democratic primary, one candidate who was one of the first to announce has withdrawn from the Allegheny County executive race.

County Councilmember Olivia Bennett has dropped out of the Democratic primaries for both the county executive and the county council contests, her team confirmed through social media on Tuesday.

She tweeted, "a HEARTFELT thank you to everyone that supported me" in these races.

What’s Next for Liv?
Thanks to everyone who reached out. First, I want to say a HEARTFELT thank you to everyone that supported me in my County Council and Executive races. Huge thanks to my campaign committee and manager/best friend Fawn Walker Montgomery.
— Liv Bennett (@Liv1Bennett) March 21, 2023

Current County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a Democrat, took office in 2012 and has reached his term limit. Six Democratic candidates — John Weinstein, Sara Innamorato, Dave Fawcett, Michael Lamb, William Parker and Theresa Sciulli Colaizzi — remain in contention for the party's nomination in the May 16 primary. One Republican is running in the race.

Bennett told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that her campaign "was kind of a litmus test to see where we are now, if we are really uplifting Black women in this region. And the answer is still no."

In a post published to her campaign site, Bennett highlighted her position as the only Black woman to have been running for county executive, saying, "I am so confused when I hear messages, even from opponents, saying that we need to elect and place BIPOC women in seats of power as these folks hinder the run of a very qualified Black woman."

She also told us, “it’s just impossible to run a race across 130 municipalities, boroughs, cities, townships with two to six people.”

Bennett had been running in the progressive lane of the Democratic field. Her withdrawal opens up the path for another progressive county executive challenger, state Rep. Sara Innamorato.

Bennett plans to run as an independent to keep her District 13 Allegheny County council seat.

"I have grandkids I know I'm leaving a world behind to," she said. "So what kind of world do we want that to be? Do I want that to be an equitable world, or do I want them to be fighting the same fights we're fighting? Absolutely not."

Olivia Bennett drops out of Allegheny County executive, county council primaries

GET OUR POLITICS NEWSLETTER

Good Housekeeping