Controller Flaherty to seek county executive position
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Mark Patrick Flaherty
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According to a key associate, county Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty has decided to enter next year's county executive race regardless of whether the incumbent, Dan Onorato, seeks another term.
The decision virtually guarantees a sharply contested Democratic primary for the top county office -- between Mr. Flaherty and Mr. Onorato, should the incumbent run in May, or a in race likely to attract a larger field if Mr. Onorato were to step down at the end of his term.
Shawn Flaherty, a former state legislator and first cousin of the controller, said Mr. Flaherty would make a formal announcement of his bid for the Democratic nomination shortly after the first of the year.
Mr. Flaherty said the controller planned to meet with Mr. Onorato but said he was not sure whether Mr. Onorato had been informed of the decision. He added that the controller expected to report having approximately $500,000 in hand for the race in his year-end campaign finance report.
Spokeswoman Megan Dardanell said Mr. Onorato would have no specific comment on Mr. Flaherty's plans.
"The county executive has said several times he will make his decision early next year; nothing's changed," she said. "He will address all this in the next couple of weeks."
Mr. Onorato won each of his first two terms by comfortable margins. The former Pittsburgh councilman lost to Tom Corbett in November's race for governor. Mr. Corbett's strong vote totals across the state included a narrow victory over Mr. Onorato in Allegheny County.
A GOP candidate has yet to emerge for the county's top job, but Republican officials, emboldened by their November sweep in mid-term congressional elections, have said they plan to mount a competitive challenge for the post. Jim Roddey, the county's GOP chairman and the man that Mr. Onorato defeated eight years ago, said the party had several potentially strong candidates.
Several other Democrats have acknowledged interest in the race, but Mr. Flaherty is the only one willing to challenge the incumbent. Rich Fitzgerald, the president of county council, Jim Burn, the county and state Democratic chairman, and Michael Lamb, the Pittsburgh controller, have all said that they would consider the race if Mr. Onorato declined to seek a third term.
Mr. Flaherty's bid for the top job opens up the race for his current post. One potential contender is George Matta, a Democrat and former county clerk of courts who is now a communications executive with The Rivers Casino. Mr. Matta said he had not made a decision on the race. Mr. Burn suggested that other controller candidates were likely to emerge with the news of Mr. Flaherty's decision.
First Published December 30, 2010 12:00 am
