Local Democrats and Republicans have chosen their nominees to replace state Rep. Dan Miller in a special election next month, with Democrats selecting a Dormont borough councilor and the GOP rallying behind a recent law-school graduate who sought the South Hills seat in 2024.
Jennifer Mazzocco was chosen over Alliyson Feldmann to represent Democrats in the Feb. 24 special election for the 42nd House District, after winning the support of local Democratic Party leaders Saturday afternoon.
She will face Republican Joseph Leckenby of Mt. Lebanon.
“We were so lucky to have two strong women candidates in this district, and I’m so excited to keep this district blue,” Mazzocco said after winning the vote of party leaders by a margin of 77 to 27.
Political insiders said Mazzocco came into Saturday’s vote with strong support from Mt. Lebanon, a Democratic bastion that didn’t have a candidate of its own in contention. More than one-half of the party leaders eligible to vote on Saturday represent the community.
Mazzocco credited her support from Mt. Lebanon in part to her work as a municipal official. “We in Dormont have worked with Mt. Lebanon on a number of issues, so I’d already built a relationship with elected officials there, and they could vouch for my credentials,” she said.
Speaker of the state House Joanna McClinton hailed Saturday’s result in a statement.
“As a union organizer and Dormont Council President, Jen knows how to bring people together, run a strong ground game, and organize her community to get real results,” McClinton said. “She will be a tireless advocate for working families and a leader our House Democratic Caucus will be proud to welcome.”
Republican Leckenby ran against Miller in 2024 after securing the GOP’s nomination in a primary write-in effort, but lost to the well established Democratic incumbent by a two-to-one margin that fall.
Leckenby graduated from Duquesne University’s law school earlier this year. A statement from the Republican Committee of Allegheny County said his campaign would focus “on ending one-party rule in the district, restoring accountability, and ensuring that residents — not political agendas — remain the top priority.”
“I am ready to be a new voice in Harrisburg,” Leckenby is quoted as saying in the statement. “I will listen to residents across the district — regardless of party affiliation — and work collaboratively to advance practical, common-sense solutions that put our community first.”
The 42nd District includes Baldwin, Castle Shannon, Dormont and Mt. Lebanon, as well as a part of Upper St. Clair. The February 24 date for the special election there was selected by McClinton, after Miller stepped down in mid-December. Miller, who served a dozen years in the state House and was renowned for his legislative advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities, was one of eight successful candidates for Common Pleas Court judge this past fall.
There are no primaries in special elections: Instead, party leaders pick nominees on their own, though the two parties follow different processes for doing so. Republican party leaders choose a nominee behind closed doors, while Democrats take a more wide-open approach in which the selection in an open vote of party committeepeople that represent voting precincts within the district.
Some 113 Democratic committee members were eligible to vote Saturday. All but 9 took part, either in-person or in a secure email ballot.
The choice for Democrats was in many ways a painless one, with both candidates touting solid progressive credentials and having paid their dues in local politics. And an hour-long online forum held with Feldmann and Mazzocco the previous week revealed few political or ideological differences. Both candidates espoused their support for a slew of mainline Democrat causes, including abortion rights, minimum-wage increases and union protections, and stepped-up investment in public transit and education.
Both candidates were well regarded by various groups within the Democratic coalition. Feldmann has been active with a number of liberal advocacy groups and is well regarded for her work in energizing the Democratic Party apparatus in Upper St. Clair. Her bid was endorsed by groups that include the Pennsylvania Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood’s political arm, and the pro-LGBT Steel City Stonewall Democrats. Mazzocco, in addition to her work as a local elected official, has been active in the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. That union endorsed her bid, as did a number of a Democratic officeholders including Allegheny County state Senators Nick Pisciottano and Lindsey Williams.
Mazzocco said her priorities — particularly affordable housing policies and a minimum wage increase — aligned well with those McClinton has sketched out: But she also said she wasn’t taking next month’s election for granted: Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state House, leaving the party with no margin for error.
“This is an open seat, and we have a one-seat majority in the House,” she said. “You don’t want to sleep on a special election.”
Leckenby is a relative newcomer, though he is a lifelong resident of Mt. Lebanon and a member of the Republican committee there since 2023. He also touts his volunteer work for Be My Eyes, which seeks to use technology to help the visually impaired, and a Christian legal aid group. In the statement announcing Lekenby’s nomination, county Republican chair Jason Richey said the GOP candidate would bring “leadership that listens, leads with integrity, and puts their needs first,”
Republicans have an uphill climb in the reliably blue 42nd District, where Democrats hold a nearly two-to-one registration advantage within those boundaries. And in recent years county Democrats have posted strong performances in special elections, easily fending off a number of Republican challengers in traditionally blue areas that include the Mon Valley, Penn Hills, and portions of Pittsburgh.
The 42nd District special election will be the first for Democratic committee chair Kate Garfinkel, who is set to the reins after outgoing chair Sam Hens-Greco steps down on Monday.
