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Politics & Government

Primary Election Polls Closed, Results for County Races & More Coming Soon

The day is over and now candidates wait to hear the results.

Now it’s time to count the votes.

With the polls closing at this hour, Allegheny County residents will soon learn the nominees for county executive, county controller and seats on county council.

The race getting the most attention is for Allegheny County executive.

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For Republicans, it’s a choice between Mt. Lebanon computer software entrepreneur D. Raja and former county councilman and county solicitor Chuck McCullough, 56, of Upper St. Clair.

Raja, 45, won endorsements from several key Republicans, including Gov. Tom Corbett, Allegheny County GOP Chairman Jim Roddey and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai of Bradford Woods.

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Raja has promised, if elected, to make Allegheny County friendlier to start-up companies, like his 300-employee custom software business, CEI, which he launched from a spare bedroom in 1992. 

McCullough, who was heavily outspent in the primary, faces trial in September on charges he misspent $200,000 from the estate of an elderly dementia patient he represented. McCullough maintains his innocence and notes that companion accusations were dismissed in an Orphan’s Court lawsuit three years ago.

McCullough was elected to the county council in 2007 and promises to eliminated the county’s 7-percent poured drink tax if elected. He did not seek endorsements from politicians, telling Patch: "You start asking for endorsements and their baggage becomes your baggage."

Democrats will nominate either former county council President Rich Fitzgerald of Squirrel Hill or current county Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty of Mt. Lebanon.

Fitzgerald, 52, a married father of eight who runs his own energy efficiency firm, promises if elected not to raise property taxes and not to allow Marcellus Shale drilling in residential areas of the county.

Flaherty, 49, is a lawyer and the son of a former county commissioner and nephew of former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty. If elected, he plans to tap into the natural gas deposits under Pittsburgh International Airport and convert the county’s vehicles and buildings to natural gas fuel.  

Three democrats are seeking the nomination to succeed Flaherty as controller; state Rep. Chelsa Wagner, 29, of Brookline; Allegheny County Real Estate Department Manager Valerie McDonald Roberts, 55, of Churchill; and former County Clerk of Courts George F. Matta II, 54, of Duquesne.

The Republican candidate for controller, Robert Howard, is unopposed.

For the county council at-large seat, two Republican attorneys are seeking the nomination—Edward J. Kress, 39, of Shaler and Heather Heidelbaugh, 52, of Mt. Lebanon.

The winner will face incumbent Democrat John P. DeFazio in the fall.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. is unopposed in the Democratic primary and no Republican candidate entered the race.

For county treasurer, both Republican C. Edward Peifer and incumbent Democrat John K. Weinstein were unopposed. 

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