Analysts say key to Tuesday's election is who gets their voters to the poll
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Tuesday is Election Day throughout Pennsylvania, and some of the hardest-fought races are in the Pittsburgh region.
Throughout the region, voters will go to the polls to elect statewide judges, like the increasingly negative battle between Democrat Dan McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio for the state Supreme Court, along with county commissioners and other county officials, school directors and local municipal leaders.
"We really don't want to just sit there and vote in the presidential elections. These elections in the off years really are just as important," said Ross Democrat Phil Little.
That's certainly true if you care about local taxes, addressing crime and clearing snow from the roads. The hottest local race: Allegheny County executive. Republican Joe Rockey needs Democrats to vote for him and more Republicans to vote than usual.
"Urging Republicans in Allegheny County who are low propensity voters to get out to vote in this election because we need every Republican to vote in order for our candidates to win," said West End Republican Erin Koper.
In a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, Sara Innamorato just needs to keep most Democrats with her to win.
"It is going to take every single Democratic voter registered in Allegheny County to get out to the polls and vote or go Downtown and go to the county elections department and turn in your mail-in ballot so that she can win," Wilkinsburg Democrat Ashley Comans said.
While television has been inundated with negative attack ads in both the Rockey-Innamorato race and the contest between District Attorney Steve Zappala and challenger Matt Dugan, younger voters who can make a difference get their news from other sources.
"Younger voters are going to make a significant impact in this election," said Richland Republican Michael Sipper.
In Allegheny County, voters under 35 now outnumber voters 65 and older.
"One of the best ways to reach younger voters under 30 in these upcoming elections is to implement social media. We've seen it through both Rockey's campaign and Sara's campaign – how they implement Twitter, now known as X, Facebook and Instagram," Sipper said.
To help KDKA-TV political Jon Delano analyze the election results Tuesday night, we have assembled this panel of four political activists under 40 -- Democrats Ashley Comans and Phil Little, and Republicans Erin Koper and Michael Sipper. They each predict their party's candidates will win, but all say the election is likely to be close.
