Fitzgerald, Raja Win Nominations For County Executive
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It looks like Rich Fitzgerald and D. Raja will face off in November in the race for Allegheny County Executive.
On the Democratic side, Fitzgerald, former Allegheny County Council President, defeated County Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty.
"We're going to unify this party, we're going to unify this region and we're going to move forward," Fitzgerald said. "We're going to continue to create jobs, we're going to continue to reform government."
Flaherty called to concede to his opponent just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.
"I thought we ran a great race, I was very proud of the race we ran and unfortunately we just didn't get enough of our voters out there with the weather we had today," he said.
Raja, a Mt. Lebanon Commissioner and software entrepreneur, beat fellow Republican and former Allegheny County Councilman Chuck McCullough.
He says the county needs change.
"We're on a slow decline. We have lost jobs – look at the airport, our flights. Look at the PAT bus routes, look at the debt going up," he said. "What we need is a transformation leadership where we can [stop] this decline and get us back to economic prosperity and the core focus there is jobs."
Raja co-founded CEI, a software engineering company that employs 300 and has made millions of dollars.
Fitzgerald and Raja will face off in November.
Stay with KDKA for the latest developments.
RELATED STORIES
Democratic County Executive Candidates Debate On KDKA Radio
Republicans Stump For County Executive
Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Running For County Executive
