It is Election Day for some voters in Allegheny and Washington counties, and some national political experts will be eyeing the results as an early test of President Donald Trump’s strength in a critical battleground ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Voters in the South Hills and part of Washington County will be voting for who fills an open state Senate seat left vacant by Republican U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler.
Tuesday’s special election pits Republican D. Raja against Democrat Pam Iovino for a seat largely controlled by Republicans the past 50 years.
Both candidates live in Mt. Lebanon. 53-year-old Raja is the chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Committee and chief executive of an It consulting firm. 62-year-old Iovino is a Navy veteran appointed to a top U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs post by former Republican president George W. Bush.
Butler County residents can’t vote in the election, but you’ve still likely seen and heard the commercials on television and radio.