Local Democratic and Republican officials react to Trump's victory in Pa.

By Ciara McEneany / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Former President Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris has drawn strong reactions from citizens and elected officials all over the country. But the same sentiment was expressed across both parties in Allegheny County and the region on Wednesday: The American people have spoken.

Sam DeMarco, Allegheny County Republican Committee chairman and county councilman-at-large, said in a news release that voters in Pennsylvania “appear ready to remove the last of the old dynasty politicians.”

He said that by electing Republican candidate Dave Sunday for state attorney general and giving U.S. Senate candidate Republican Dave McCormick a lead over incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, the party took over areas that were once unattainable to them.

“This new chapter in our history has many authors, but chief among them are the middle-class working families who have grown tired of the tired message that there is something wrong with them and that it can only be fixed by compelling them to abandon traditional values and common sense,” Mr. DeMarco said in the statement.

Congressman Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican, who represents Pennsylvania’s 14th district, was re-elected Tuesday after defeating Democratic candidate Chris Dzadios, and quickly showed his support for Trump.

In a social media post, the representative said that citizens voted for a “president who fights for the people, never surrenders to the woke mob, and will bring our nation back from the brink.” Calling the Biden administration the “America Last regime,” Mr. Reschenthaler said he is looking forward to the former president coming back to the White House.

While Republicans in Allegheny County view the results as a victory, some Democratic leaders are calling it a “gut punch.”

That was the term used by Karen Hochberg, chair of Pittsburgh’s 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, in an interview Wednesday. She said that Ms. Harris’ loss is more impactful than Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016, adding that the choice by voters had been made with anger towards the Democratic Party.

“We [Democrats] need to understand that this was a decisive victory and that our fellow citizens voted for who and what they wanted,” she said. “What they wanted was clearly articulated in Project 2025; they [voters] certainly knew who Donald Trump was.”

Calling Ms. Harris an “inspiring” candidate, Ms. Hochberg said that she has not seen the amount of work go into past nominees that had been done for Ms. Harris in Pa.

By the end of the campaign, she was confident that the state would stay blue based on responses from voters when door knocking and at rallies, she said. So when Trump won the state, Ms. Hochberg was shocked.

Though, in retrospect, she is not entirely surprised, she said.

“I guess if I back up, if you look at consistent polls and the divisions in America, none of us should be surprised,” she said. “I think we need to respect the people who voted for Trump. They are my fellow citizens.”

For Allegheny County Councilman Nick Futules, a Democrat, Trump’s victory across the state was not a surprise at all, he said in an interview. 

When the councilman went on a trip through rural Pennsylvania a few weeks ago, there were Trump signs “everywhere,” he recalled, and only one for Ms. Harris.

“I'm thinking to myself, ‘Oh my God, everybody's supporting Trump,” he said. “So all that came true. That's exactly where he won.”

Mr. Futules said that he believes it comes down to people sticking to their party, no matter what.

Citing the multitude of political advertisements from every candidate, the councilman said that it does not make a difference because people are going to stick to what they know.

“You're not going to change people's vote by destroying people's character in elections,” he said. “Whoever shows up at the polls, that's who wins.”

Ms. Hochberg and Mr. Futules agree that the state flipping to red will impact how policy is implemented under the Trump administration.

“Elections have consequences,” Ms. Hochberg said. “They [Republicans] told us what they were going to do and most citizens voted for that option. So the consequences are that they are going to do what they said they were going to do.”

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamarato said in a press release Wednesday that she accepts the results of the election after so many  voters showed up to the polls Tuesday.

“The people of Pennsylvania and the nation selected a new president and leaders,” she said in the release. “I believe democracy is fundamental to maintaining a free society ... I will continue to defend our democracy and stand against any group that attempts to erode it.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in a Wednesday press release that residents should use this time after the election to “exercise empathy,” emphasizing that people need to come to a peaceful understanding of one another. 

Meeting with community leaders across the city, Mr. Gainey plans to create “one plan and one vision” to help residents feel safe moving forward, he said.

“We will continue developing strategies to build opportunity infrastructure in our city so every resident can thrive,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to mobilize value-aligned elected leaders to establish spaces where we encourage true unity, work to find common ground, and respect each other’s humanity.”

Individuals who voted for Trump at the polls across Western Pennsylvania on Tuesday told the Post-Gazette issues ranging from illegal immigration to the state of the economy were significant factors while submitting their ballot.

For these reasons, Mr. DeMarco said in the news release, are why Trump secured the state.

“The 2024 general election has registered a very clear message with both parties: the American people want economic growth, respect for the mainstream, and a strong international profile that doesn’t rely on needless entanglements abroad,” he said in a statement.