According to the Allegheny County Office of Elections’ unofficial candidate list, there are three Democrats running for two four-year Democratic seats in Penn Hills.
The list includes Stephen Zelahy as the lone Republican candidate running for one of two four-year Republican seats.
Here are the Penn Hills residents running in the contested races and their responses to election questions posed by TribLive:
Ian Cartwright
Age: 47
Political affiliation: Democrat
Education: Bachelor’s degree in history from Michigan State University
Occupation: Project manager
Passions: “My wife and I moved here for the greenspace, and we are passionate about the rewilding movement, taking older property and returning it to nature. My wife teaches filmmaking at the University of Pittsburgh and creates video installations, and as a musician and songwriter, I create the music.”
Cartwright also is passionate about cycling and has led rides for World Bicycle Relief.
Elected experience: “None, but I have been a steward of the Allegheny Churchill Valley Greenway since 2021 and was named to the board of the Consumer Council of the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority (WPJWA).”
Why I’m running: “This is my first time running for a political role, but I always thought I would do something like this. I believe that with my background, I can help. We have a lot of individual single-family homes that are being bought up by private equity companies. It is important that we hold them responsible.
“We are a bedroom community. It is bad for the community that there are a handful of corporations buying the majority of the homes. My wife and I are very involved in the community; we love Penn Hills and want the best for it.”
Frank Pecora
Age: 66
Political affiliation: Democrat
Education: Bachelor’s degree in insurance from Penn State University
Occupation: Insurance broker
Passions: “In the downtime that I find, I like to golf; I enjoy that very much. After a long day of work, I’ll turn on the stereo and listen to some classical music.”
Elected experience: Penn Hills Council, 2020-23
Why I’m running: “I was previously on council from 2020 to the end of 2023, and I feel that things are going in the wrong direction. The reason I am running is because I want to make a difference for the people of Penn Hills.
“We have heavy taxation, and I worry about our seniors, too. I don’t know how they could possibly make it on Social Security; it is tough. Sewage is out of hand. A lot of the residents need change, and I feel that my duty is that if I am elected, I am a servant of the public. Constituent service is a high priority for me.”
Pecora has lived in Penn Hills since the age of 2, and he has experienced the political realm since age 12. His father, also Frank Pecora, served on Penn Hills Council.
“What I would like to see is growth and economic development. We need to provide opportunities to get more business in the community and incentives to come to the community. We need to get Penn Hills back to the way it was. A lot of places have closed, and that has to do with federal things as well. Many people are having a hard time right now, it is terrible.
“I would like to see strong fiscal management and accountability. I’d like to see county, state and federal funding for municipal projects to maintain services and reduce the burden of additional taxes on our residents.”
Kimberly “Kim” Refosco
Age: 45
Political affiliation: Democrat
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh; master’s degree in education from Franciscan University
Occupation: High school teacher, consultant; works to create curriculum alignment
Passions: “Over the past six years, I have been the Pittsburgh community leader for Outdoor Afro, a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting and celebrating Black people in the outdoors. I’ve led groups in activities such as kayaking, camping, skiing and whitewater rafting. It is important to me to provide safe space and community for folks who want to enjoy nature and maybe even try something new.
“Additionally, I get to work closely with other local organizations that keep our communities clean, fun, safe and educated about conservation, such as Three Rivers Waterkeepers, PA Fish and Boat Commission, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Backyard Nature, Venture Outdoors (Kayak Pittsburgh), The Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy and more.
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“When I am not volunteering, I enjoy working on my fly-fishing game (or lack thereof), traveling, spending time with family and being trained by my golden retriever, Fitz.”
Elected experience: “I have been an elected member of the Penn Hills Democratic Committee for the past four years. I represent Ward 7, District 6. As an active member of the committee, I dedicate time to our community programming, fundraising, canvassing and serve on the special events committee.
“In pursuing my love for the outdoors and nonprofit work, I also serve as the governance chair on the board of directors for Venture Outdoors, an organization dedicated to removing barriers and creating access to outdoor experiences.”
Why I’m running: “My objective as a council member is to foster and promote pride in the community by being inviting to new businesses and new homebuyers, collaborating with the school board to achieve the best learning environments, keeping our streets safe while providing opportunities for our youths and seniors to stay engaged, and staying diligent with our spending on utilities and infrastructure.”
Refosco said she plans to address community concerns surrounding issues such as maintaining affordable home ownership, supporting local businesses, beautifying roads, parks and vacant spaces and doing so in a balanced, affordable way.