Allegheny County Council members approved Jordan Botta as District 13’s interim Democratic representative on Wednesday, making the 15-member body whole once again. Botta replaces David Bonaroti, who resigned in April, citing plans to move out of state.
Botta, now the executive director of the LGBT chamber of commerce group Three Rivers Business Alliance, ran an unsuccessful primary challenge for Pittsburgh City Council’s District 7 seat in 2023, losing to incumbent Democrat Deb Gross.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Botta noted that the city’s District 7 and the county’s District 13 share some neighborhood overlap. Both districts cover Pittsburgh neighborhoods including Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, though District 13 also stretches into the city’s North Side and Bellevue next door.
Botta’s run for city council gave him “a deeper understanding of the communities that make up [District 13],” he said, adding that he hopes to focus on the same policy areas he championed as a candidate, such as economic development, accessible and transparent government, and affordable housing.
Botta is the first openly gay member of County Council. He called it an “honor” and said he hopes it opens the door for “many [LGBTQ candidates] in the future.”
To fill a vacancy on council, members of the departing councilor’s party must choose a nominee who shares their political affiliation; that nominee is subject to confirmation of the full council. Democrats dominate the body, holding 13 of 15 seats.
Botta’s approval marks the second time in less than six months council has replaced a member. In February, councilors approved Republican Mike Embrescia to replace Sam DeMarco, who resigned to work as Southwestern Pennsylvania regional director for U.S. Sen. David McCormick.
As per the county charter, Botta will hold the office until the next municipal election in November, when he must win if he hopes to complete the two years remaining on Bonaroti’s term. It’s unclear if Botta will seek to retain the seat this fall.
“My first priority is to figure out the policy agendas that I have outlined and do the best job for the people that I possibly can. If I'm here for a couple of months or if I'm for the remainder of the term, that's always going to be my priority: to ensure that we have good representation,” he said.
The Allegheny County Democratic Committee will choose the party’s nominee for the November election, and there’s no guarantee they’ll pick Botta. The committee could have a host of candidates to choose from; Fineview resident Jon Hanrahan, who also sought the interim seat, said Wednesday he will run to complete Bonaroti’s term.
The Democratic nominee is almost certain to face a Republican challenger. According to party officials, City of Pittsburgh Republican Committee chair Todd McCollum is the GOP’s presumptive nominee for the District 13 race.
