Arvind Venkat, a first-time political candidate and emergency room physician with Allegheny Health Network, will represent the 30th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, adding to a string of recent Democratic victories in Pittsburgh’s North Hills.
Venkat, a Democrat, defeated Cindy Kirk, a UPMC nurse administrator and Republican, who has represented part of the district on the Allegheny County Council for the past seven years. As of 10:30 p.m., Venkat led Kirk by about 55% to 45%. The district was one of several critical pickups for Democrats in order to have a chance at controlling the state House for the first time in more than a decade.
Kirk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Union Progress.
During the campaign, Venkat advocated for abortion rights protections, increased investments in public services, expanding access to the ballot box, gun safety reforms and making health care more affordable and accessible. Kirk is anti-abortion and pushed for low taxes, infrastructure investments, a voter ID requirement at the polls and protections for Second Amendment rights. Both candidates live in McCandless.
Venkat said during a campaign watch party at North Park Lounge in McCandless that he had knocked on more than 13,000 doors, and “it meant everything to be able to connect with neighbors and friends” in the community.
“I am a new candidate, I am a new politician, I am a physician, though, who has taken care of you in your time of need for the last 15 years,” he said. “I got into this race because I saw over the last few years how we needed new leadership who was going to bring to our community an emphasis on lifting up the least among us, and ... when we do that, we do the best for all of us.”
Venkat amassed a significant war chest of nearly $1.3 million in campaign contributions, as of late October, compared with the roughly $240,000 raised by Kirk. His win continues Democratic momentum in what until recently had been a solidly Republican area.
Uday Palled, a Democrat who sits on the Franklin Park Borough Council, pointed to “generational turnover” as a key reason the suburbs are moving left. He said many older couples are downsizing to smaller homes with less upkeep at the same time that younger families are moving into new subdivisions.
“I think the middle of the last decade is when I started seeing the turnover, and that’s when Democrats really started taking this borough seriously,” he said. “The Democratic committee started forming, meeting, organizing and actually getting a structure in place.”
Palled, a self-described moderate who was the vice chair of Venkat’s campaign, said the 15-point win by U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in the 2018 congressional elections “started momentum for Democrats” in the area. He pointed to other recent wins, such as Democrats getting on borough council, and that Democratic candidates were the top vote-getters in last year’s North Allegheny school board election.
Palled cautioned that no matter the outcome, Republicans have “deep roots” at the local level and are “just going to double down.”
“They’re not going to give up,” he said. “But Democrats aren’t going to give up either.”
At the polls, voters said they were concerned about myriad issues.
Brianna Ackison cast a ballot for the first time Tuesday, at the Franklin Park Baptist Church. She said she voted for Democrats in all races, both to protect abortion rights and try to stop what she described as her “realization of the way the country is going.”
“I can’t complain if I’m not doing anything about it,” she said.
Nathan Wisnewski, who voted at the same church on Nicholson Road, said he was concerned by high prices and wanted to protect Second Amendment rights. He voted straight Republican, saying that was the party that aligned best with his views, but wanted everyone to vote and make their voice heard.
“No matter what party you are, if you’re at the polling station, you’re making a difference,” Wisnewski said.
In Kilbuck, where candidates often win by just a handful of votes, Moriah Eck said she voted for candidates who would keep the “moving forward.” Eck, who said she typically votes for Republicans, picked a mix of candidates from both parties Tuesday following long conversations with her parents and friends.
“I don’t see for either side,” said Eck, who declined to say which specific candidates she picked.
Jon, a copy editor and reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and working as a co-editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Reach him at jmoss@unionprogress.com.
