Fitzgerald, Raja are winners in county executive race

Dowd, O'Connor, Kraus, Burgess and Harris win in City Council

Former county Council president Rich Fitzgerald was headed to hard-fought but solid victory over county Controller Mark Flaherty to capture the Democratic nomination for county executive while D. Raja, a Mt. Lebanon Commissioner, was on his way to capturing the GOP standard over Chuck McCullough, a former county councilman whose underfunded campaign was further burdened by a pending criminal trial.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said tonight that Mr. Fitzgerald ran a flawless primary campaign.

"He was organized, had a clear message and he got the vote out," Mr. Onorato said. "Rich worked his butt off. I've never seen anyone work as hard as Rich and his family."

Mr. Onorato predicted that starting Wednesday the Democratic nominee will be concentrating on the general campaign "and we Democrats will be united behind him."

Many of the volunteers were wearing green T-shirts with the message "Welcome to Fitzburgh" printed on them.

Republican Congressman Tim Murphy told a group of people gathered in a room in the Radisson in Greentree Mr. Raja had won.

"It's nice to have some people in charge who have signed the front of a paycheck," Rep. Murphy said. He was one of several members of the Republican leadership who endorsed Mr. Raja in his race against Mr. McCullough.

Republican Heather Heidelbaugh has defeatead Ed Kress in the race for at-large Allegheny County Council member. Barbara Daly Danko won in District 11, Rich Fitzgerald's old seat.

State Rep. Chelsa Wagner won going away in in the three-way race for the Democratic nomination for county controller. She will face Robert Howard, a former North Hills school director who was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

In a four-person Democratic battle, Darlene Harris, Pittsburgh's city council president, emerged the apparent winner in a tight battle with Vince Pallus, an endorsed candidates allied with the Ravenstahl administration. The results of the five Democratic council contests were shaping up as a disappointment to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. His allies had hoped that the council contests, in which all of the incumbents faced challengers, would produce a more pliant legislative branch after years of tense relations on the fifth floor of the City-Council Building. Bruce Kraus, Corey O'Connor, Ricky Burgess, and Patrick Dowd all won in their districts.

In a hotly contested district judge race in the East End, Hugh McGough was the winner, defeating opponents including Doug Shields, who is leaving City Council.

"It's really, really thrilling for me," Mr. McGough said from his campaign party in Shadyside.