A quarter-century of two-party control of Allegheny County Council ended last week, after independent candidate Alex Rose was sworn in as the body’s newest at-large member.
Rose, who ran under the Labor Party banner, won a special election on the November ballot to fill the vacant at-large seat of Republican Sam DeMarco. The county charter directs special-election winners to “take office as soon as possible” after results are certified: That means Rose was sworn in on Friday — weeks ahead of the other council candidates who won races this fall.
Though Rose was a Democrat before changing his party registration to run for office, he said he plans to use his independence to his advantage.
Republicans and Democrats have “some political considerations” when making policy, he said, like how their actions might affect other races. By contrast, “I don’t have a party behind me necessarily working on advancing my political agenda.”
Despite the unusual circumstances in which he was elected, Rose acknowledged having an independent on council is unlikely to tip the scales much. Democrats enjoy a strong 13-member majority on the 15-member body, while Republicans now have just one representative.
Rose also acknowledged that his politics tend to align with progressive Democrats, who envision a more active County Council than their more conservative counterparts. But he said voters shouldn’t be surprised if he goes his own way.
“I certainly have disagreements with Democratic Party leadership on a number of topics. So, we’ll have to see exactly what comes before council,” Rose said. He added that he is “willing to break [with the Democrats] if necessary to uphold what I campaigned on.”
Issues where he could end up at odds with the council majority include term limits, which Rose supports but which council has repeatedly declined to pass.
As an at-large member of council, Rose will also have a seat on the county Board of Elections. His swearing in marks the first time since the executive-and-council form of government was established in 2000 that Republicans will not be represented on the three-member body.
That’s because two of the board’s three members are council’s at-large members, and a provision in the Home Rule Charter forbids one party holding both those seats. In the past, that has guaranteed Republicans a role in overseeing county elections.
Some Republicans have raised concerns about the board’s new make-up, saying its legitimacy could come into question without a GOP representative. But Rose said the new board represents “the will of the voters.”
“I have dedicated my entire career to ensuring and protecting our democracy wherever possible,” he said. “And I eagerly look forward to doing that on the Board of Elections and to use the position … to further expand access to the ballot box for all voters.”
He pledged to “go to the ends of the earth to make sure a Republican who hates my guts is able to go cast their ballot against me, because that is their right. So, I hope [Republicans] find some comfort in that.”
County Council is slated to vote on the county’s 2026 budget on Tuesday, meaning Rose’s first vote as a member of council will be whether or not to approve County Executive Sara Innamorato’s $3 billion spending plan.
Rose said he’s spent the weeks since his election giving himself a crash course in municipal budgeting and said he’s “feeling pretty comfortable with the budget.”
Jumping into the deep end on his first vote has “been good for me in many ways because I’ve had to quickly learn this process,” Rose said. “I’m gonna be in a better position next year … to more fully advocate for the positions and policies that I campaigned on.”
Rose will finish the two years left in the at-large term. The seat will be up for reelection in 2027: Rose said he hasn’t decided whether to run for a full term.