Pa. appeals court: Mike Embrescia (R) must run for re-election this fall for Allegheny County Council

A state appellate court has ruled that At-large Allegheny County Councilman Mike Embrescia, a Republican, must run for re-election this fall — setting up a potential showdown between two opponents aiming to qualify for the November ballot.

Mr. Embrescia said Wednesday he and his attorneys will appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. Three Commonwealth Court judges, Patricia A. McCullough, Anne E. Covey, and Lori A. Dumas heard the case, with Judge McCullough, a Republican, writing the opinion. Judge Covey is also a Republican, and Judge Dumas is a Democrat.

Ms. McCullough wrote that Mr. Embrescia and his attorneys were unable to prove that the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas erred in its findings with regard to the county home rule charter and administrative code. There is nothing in the state constitution or other law that says that Mr. Embrescia does not need to run “at the next available municipal election,” as stated in county law, she wrote.

“As our Supreme Court has stated, ‘a home[ ]rule municipality’s exercise of legislative power is presumed valid, absent a specific constitutional or statutory limit,’’” the court wrote, in part, in its conclusion.



https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2025/07/30/mike-embrescia-allegheny-county-council/stories/202507300065